Reading The Son of Neptune
by Breathingbooks247
Summary: Dear Demi-gods, Happy Summer solstice! This is Apollo the most hottest and most awsomest God in the world. So as a present I'm giving you a book. No need to look so excited Athena's cabin.This is what Percy was doing while he was away. It's good to know what you're up against in San Francisco. So read on and Leo please take a break don't try to escape to your ship.
1. Chapter 1

**Yes this is an over used fanfiction. I know! There are too many. But please read on. I really have always wanted to do one but was afraid people would get annoyed with the amount of people doing this. They're not that many ones with Reading the Son of Neptune so I thought...Why not? I sucked up all my courage and wrote and this is it. So don't be like angry or anything...you don't have to read it (But i would be forever grateful if you did)**

**This took me two hours. I will post soon so don't worry I will not stop no matter how many reviews I get. (hopefully a lot)**

**Thanks. **

**R&R!**

**I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS RICK RIORDAN DOES (I know it's terrible)**

**So yeah read on.**

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The demi-gods of Camp Half-Blood gathered around the fire after dinner. They all sung and laughed trying to ignore the fact that Percy was gone, a quest was near as well as Gaea and the war. Annabeth smiled sadly and faked every happy emotion as well as she could. She wondered what Percy was doing? Was he thinking of her? Was he on a quest? She gulped. Hopefully not on a quest. She knew how bad quests went for Percy.

She glanced at Leo, Piper and Jason. She was happy to see that Jason and Piper were holding hands and laughing. Leo for the first time was not stressed and was not at his ship where he was usually attached to the boat in Bunker 9. Today was Christmas night and everyone was happy and relaxed. For once everyone let go of all their stress and decided to ignore all the problems in the world. Annabeth tried her best and for a few moments she felt happy, tired, though happy.

Suddenly there was a flash and everyone fell silent. On the ground right besides the campfire laid a book with a note atop of it. Annabeth rushed towards it and read out loud to the curious and confused demi-gods.

_Dear Demi-gods,_

_Happy Christmas! And Merry New Years! This is Apollo the more hottest and most awsomest God in the world._

Apollo cabin cheered ignoring the other glares and rolled eyes they were receiving. Annabeth read on.

_So as a present I'm giving you a book. No need to look so excited Athena's cabin._

Some people laughed as the said cabin huffed.

_This is what Percy was doing while he was away. _

The fire dropped a color.

_It's good to know what you're up against in San Francisco. So read on and Leo please take a break don't try to escape to your ship. _

Leo huffed and Piper grinned.

_The one and the only,_

_Apollo. _

_P.S. Thalia and Nico will be joining you right about now._

The campers jumped in surprise and Nico walked out of the forest grumbling and Thalia stormed in growling. Jason ran up to hug her and she grinned while ruffling his hair. She looked to the campers sat down next to Annabeth and said, "It must be what he's been doing for the past eight months." Nico said frowning.

"Well? Let's start reading!" Thalia exclaimed.

Annabeth opened to the first page and frowned "It's Percy's point of view…kind of." She said.

Annabeth started to read,

**THE SNAKE-HAIRED LADIES WERE starting to annoy Percy.**

"Well aren't we all annoyed by them?" Nico said sarcastically.

"I'm not." Leo said confused and Nico rolled his eyes.

**They should have died three days ago when he dropped a crate of bowling balls on them at the Napa Bargain Mart. **

"That's a bad way to make friends Percy." Connor scolded.

"Yeah you should just slash them up with a sword much less painful." Travis agreed.

**They should have died two days ago when he ran over them with a police car in Martinez. **

"OH MY GOD HE STOLE A CAR" A Hermes yelled out overjoyed only to be wacked. "Ow!"

"I did too!" Piper said.

"REALLY?" They yelled. Piper frowned confused.

**They definitely should have died this morning when he cut off their heads in Tilden Park.**

"That's weird." Annabeth frowned

**No matter how many times Percy killed them and watched them crumble to powder, they just kept re-forming like large evil dust bunnies.**

Someone screamed, "Dust bunnies!"

"I know!" Nico exclaimed, "There so full of themselves!"

"How did Percy even compare them so dust bunnies anyways?" Thalia asked no one.

**He couldn't even seem to outrun them.**

"Better run better run faster than my bullet!" A Apollo kid sang.

**He reached the top of the hill and caught his breath.**

"He has no stamina." Thalia informed everyone.

**How long since he'd last killed them? Maybe two hours. **

"That's less than one!" Travis gasped.

"Wow you know your numbers! Congratulations!" Clarisse said sarcastically someone laughed.

**They never seemed to stay dead longer than that.**

"Well that's just annoying." Jason huffed.

**The past few days, he'd hardly slept. **

Annabeth looked worried.

**He'd eaten whatever he could scrounge – vending machine gummi bears, stale bagels, even a Jack in the Crack burrito, which was a new personal low. His clothes were torn, burnt and splattered with monster slime.**

"EW!" The Aphrodite cabin shrieked.

"OMG isn't monster slime like so hard to get out of clothes!" Lacy screamed. Piper groaned. Was it just her or were he sisters and brother really annoying?

**He'd only survived this long because the two snake-haired ladies – gorgons, they called themselves – couldn't seem to kill him either. **

"Why not?" Jason asked.

Nico grinned, "Because of me!"

"You're so full of yourself." Thalia muttered.

**Their claws didn't cut his skin. Their teeth broke whenever they tried to bite him. But Percy couldn't keep going much longer. Soon he'd collapse from exhaustion, and then, as hard as he was to kill, he was pretty sure the gorgons would find a way.**

"Oh no!" Annabeth groaned.

**Where to run?**

"I dunno. Why is asking us?" Connor said. Katie Gardener slapped him.

"What was that for?" He exclaimed.

"For being an idiot."

**He scanned his surroundings. Under different circumstances, he might've enjoyed the view. **

"But they aren't." Grover said.

**To his left, golden hills rolled inland, dotted with lakes, woods and a few herds of cows. To his right, the flatlands of Berkeley and Oakland marched west – a vast chequerboard of neighborhoods, with several million people who probably did not want their morning interrupted by two monsters and a filthy demigod.**

"I wouldn't." Piper said

"Hey! He's near Camp Jupiter!" Jason exclaimed.

**Further west, San Francisco Bay glittered under a silvery haze. Past that, a wall of fog had swallowed most of San Francisco, leaving just the tops of skyscrapers and the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.**

**A vague sadness weighed on Percy's chest. Something told him he'd been to San Francisco before.**

Annabeth felt herself be hit with the same sadness.

**The city had some connection to Annabeth – the only person he could remember from his past. **

Annabeth gaped. He remembered her?

"That's not fair! I'm his best friend too!" Grover said.

"Sorry." Annabeth replied though she couldn't stop grinning.

**His memory of her was frustratingly dim. The wolf had promised he would see her again and regain his memory – if he succeeded in his journey.**

"What journey?" Leo questioned.

"Please don't be a quest!" Annabeth begged.

"Why not?" Jason asked.

"Because quests and Percy don't go good together." Thalia explained.

"How many has been on?" Piper asked.

"Um…four?" Nico said.

"Yeah." Annabeth confirmed.

All the new campers including Leo, Piper and Jason gaped.

**Should he try to cross the bay?**

"NO!" Travis and Connor yelled.

"You're talking to a book." Will Solace stated shaking his head.

**It was tempting. He could feel the power of the ocean just over the horizon. Water always revived him. Salt water was the best. **

"We all know." Clarisse groaned.

**He'd discovered that two days ago when he had strangled a sea monster in the Carquinez Strait.**

"Strangled?" Piper squeaked out.

"Of course a sea monster would find him?" Annabeth said rolling her eyes.

**If he could reach the bay, he might be able to make a last stand. **

"I hate last stands." Grover murmured.

**Maybe he could even drown the gorgons. But the shore was at least two miles away. He'd have to cross an entire city.**

"Not a good idea." Malcolm said.

**He hesitated for another reason. The she-wolf Lupa had taught him to sharpen his senses – to trust the instincts that had been guiding him south. His homing radar was tingling like crazy now. **

"Percy has radar?" Nico said then looked towards Annabeth and scolded, "Annabeth. No experimenting on your boyfriend!"

"I didn't!"

"Denial's not just a river in Utah!" Nico sang.

"EGYPT!" The entire Athena Cabin roared.

**The end of his journey was close – almost right under his feet. But how could that be? There was nothing on the hilltop.**

"Look below!" Jason urged.

**The wind changed. Percy caught the sour scent of reptile. A hundred yards down the slope, something rustled through the woods – snapping branches, crunching leaves, hissing.**

**Gorgons.**

"WHAT!" Annabeth screamed.

"Gorgons found him that lucky duck." Clarisse exclaimed.

**For the millionth time, Percy wished their noses weren't so good. They had always said they could smell him because he was a demigod – the half-blood son of some old Roman god. Percy had tried rolling in mud, splashing through creeks, even keeping air-freshener sticks in his pockets so he'd have that new-car smell, but apparently demigod stink was hard to mask.**

Everyone laughed and Thalia grinned, "Oh he stinks all right more than me."

"No you guys stink the same." Grover said.

"Excuse me!"

"Nothing! Nothing."

**He scrambled to the west side of the summit. It was too steep to descend. The slope plummeted eighty feet, straight to the roof of an apartment complex built into the hillside. Fifty feet below that, a highway emerged from the hill's base and wound its way towards Berkeley.**

**Great. No other way off the hill. He'd managed to get himself cornered.**

"Seaweed Brain." Annabeth groaned.

**He stared at the stream of cars flowing west towards San Francisco and wished he were in one of them. Then he realized the highway must cut through the hill. There must be a tunnel … right under his feet.**

"No duh! OBVIOUSLY." Jason said loudly everyone stared at him.

**His internal radar went nuts. **

"First crazy now nuts. Isn't that the same thing?" Nico asked.

**He was in the right place, just too high up. He had to check out that tunnel. He needed a way down to the highway – fast.**

"—er than a bullet!" The same Apollo kid sang once more.

**He slung off his backpack. He'd managed to grab a lot of supplies at the Napa Bargain Mart: a portable GPS, duct tape, lighter, superglue, water bottle, camping roll, a Comfy Panda Pillow Pet (as seen on TV)**

"It's a Pillow!" Travis sang.

"It's a Pet." Connor replied.

"It's a Pillow Pet!" Leo finished.

**and a Swiss army knife – pretty much every tool a modern demigod could want. But he had nothing that would serve as a parachute or a sled.**

"Just his luck." Thalia said.

**That left him two options: jump eighty feet to his death, or stand and fight. Both options sounded pretty bad.**

"He's just not being positive!" Travis said.

**He cursed and pulled his pen from his pocket.**

"Pen?" Leo asked with raised eyebrows.

**The pen didn't look like much, just a regular cheap ballpoint, but, when Percy uncapped it, it grew into a glowing bronze sword. The blade balanced perfectly. The leather grip fitted his hand like it had been custom designed for him. Etched along the guard was an Ancient Greek word Percy somehow understood: Anaklusmos – Riptide.**

"OH MY GOD WE NEED ONE OF THOSE!" Leo yelled looking way too excited.

**He'd woken up with this sword his first night at the Wolf House – two months ago? More? He'd lost track. He'd found himself in the courtyard of a burnt-out mansion in the middle of the woods, wearing shorts, an orange T-shirt and a leather necklace with a bunch of strange clay beads. **

"There are not strange!" An older camper said.

**Riptide had been in his hand, but Percy had had no idea how he'd got there, and only the vaguest idea who he was. He'd been barefoot, freezing and confused. And then the wolves came …**

**Right next to him, a familiar voice jolted him back to the present: 'There you are!'**

**Percy stumbled away from the gorgon, almost falling off the edge of the hill.**

**It was the smiley one – Beano.**

"I'm pretty sure there are no gorgons named Beano." Annabeth frowned.

**Okay, her name wasn't really Beano. As near as Percy could figure, he was dyslexic, because words got twisted around when he tried to read. The first time he'd seen the gorgon, posing as a Bargain Mart greeter with a big green button that read: Welcome! My name is STHENO, he'd thought it said beano.**

Everyone laughed and Thalia rolled her eyes, "Typical Percy,"

**She was still wearing her green Bargain Mart employee vest over a flower-print dress. If you looked just at her body, you might think she was somebody's dumpy old grandmother – until you looked down and realized she had rooster feet. Or you looked up and saw bronze boar tusks sticking out of the corners of her mouth. Her eyes glowed red, and her hair was a writhing nest of bright green snakes.**

"How would you not notice that?" Nico asked,

**The most horrible thing about her? She was still holding her big silver platter of free samples: Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners. Her platter was dented from all the times Percy had killed her, but those little samples looked perfectly fine. Stheno just kept toting them across California so she could offer Percy a snack before she killed him. Percy didn't know why she kept doing that, but if he ever needed a suit of armour he was going to make it out of Crispy Cheese 'n' Wieners. They were indestructible.**

"IDEA!" Leo yelled he raced to his cabin mates' mutter something. They all looked super excited and Jake got a piece of paper and started writing.

'**Try one?' Stheno offered.**

"Uh…no." Piper said.

**Percy fended her off with his sword. 'Where's your sister?'**

"I don't know! Why does he keep asking us questions?" Travis yelled and Katie slapped him once more.

'**Oh, put the sword away,' Stheno chided. 'You know by now that even Celestial bronze can't kill us for long. Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener! They're on sale this week, and I'd hate to kill you on an empty stomach.'**

"She's a really nice monster." Nico nodded.

'**Stheno!' The second gorgon appeared on Percy's right so fast he didn't have time to react. Fortunately she was too busy glaring at her sister to pay him much attention. 'I told you to sneak up on him and kill him!'**

"Ah! But he didn't." Thalia said.

**Stheno's smile wavered. 'But, Euryale …' She said the name so it rhymed with Muriel. 'Can't I give him a sample first?'**

"She's an idiot." Piper said.

"Like Nico." Thalia nodded.

"Hey!"

'**No, you imbecile!' Euryale turned towards Percy and bared her fangs.**

**Except for her hair, which was a nest of coral snakes instead of green vipers, she looked exactly like her sister. Her Bargain Mart vest, her flowery dress, even her tusks were decorated with 50% off stickers. Her name badge read: Hello! My name is DIE, DEMIGOD SCUM!**

"Way to give herself away." Rachel said.

"Yeah she's like Grover when he lies to a demi-god." Annabeth agree smirking.

"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?"

'**You've led us on quite a chase, Percy Jackson,' Euryale said. 'But now you're trapped, and we'll have our revenge!'**

'**The Cheese 'n' Wieners are only $2.99,' Stheno added helpfully. 'Grocery department, aisle three.'**

Everyone laughed.

**Euryale snarled. 'Stheno, the Bargain Mart was a front! You're going native! Now, put down that ridiculous tray and help me kill this demigod. Or have you forgotten that he's the one who vaporized Medusa?'**

"He killed Medusa?" Jason gasped.

"We were twelve." Annabeth nodded.

"I could fly back then." Grover nodded looking dreamy.

"Um…" Piper said shooting him a look.

**Percy stepped back. Six more inches, and he'd be tumbling through thin air. 'Look, ladies, we've been over this. I don't even remember killing Medusa. I don't remember anything! Can't we just call a truce and talk about your weekly specials?'**

"Stupid Hera…taking his memories….and Gaea…witch can't leave us along…taking him away from me." Annabeth muttered to herself. Thalia chuckled.

**Stheno gave her sister a pouty look, which was hard to do with giant bronze tusks. 'Can we?'**

"Please do!" Nico said.

'**No!' Euryale's red eyes bored into Percy. 'I don't care what you remember, son of the sea god. I can smell Medusa's blood on you. It's faint, yes, several years old, but you were the last one to defeat her. She still has not returned from Tartarus. It's your fault!'**

"She holds grudges alright." Leo said.

**Percy didn't really get that. The whole 'dying then returning from Tartarus' concept gave him a headache. **

"Same," Said every dmei-god but Athena's kids.

"Well-" Malcom tried to explain.

"NO! SHUT UP!" Ares and Hermes cabin yelled knowing how long the explanation would be.

**Of course, so did the idea that a ballpoint pen could turn into a sword, or that monsters could disguise themselves with something called the Mist, or that Percy was the son of a barnacle-encrusted god from five thousand years ago.**

"Barnacle encrusted God?" Thalia said between laughter.

"Oh Poseidon's going to hate that." Nico exclaimed while laughing.

Thunder roared in the distance.

**But he did believe it. Even though his memory was erased, he knew he was a demigod the same way he knew his name was Percy Jackson. From his very first conversation with Lupa the wolf, he'd accepted that this crazy messed-up world of gods and monsters was his reality. Which pretty much sucked.**

"Agreed." Said every Demi-god once more.

'**How about we call it a draw?' he said. 'I can't kill you. You can't kill me. If you're Medusa's sisters – like the Medusa who turned people to stone – shouldn't I be petrified by now?'**

"They're not going to like that." Annabeth muttered/

'**Heroes!' Euryale said with disgust. 'They always bring that up, just like our mother! "Why can't you turn people to stone? Your sister can turn people to stone." Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, boy! That was Medusa's curse alone. She was the most hideous one in the family. She got all the luck!'**

"Medusa ruins everything doesn't she?" Thalia said.

**Stheno looked hurt. 'Mother said I was the most hideous.'**

Everyone laughed.

'**Quiet!' Euryale snapped. 'As for you, Percy Jackson, it's true you bear the mark of Achilles. That makes you a little tougher to kill. But don't worry. We'll find a way.'**

"Wow! He has the curse of Achilles? Impressive." Piper whistled and Jason felt a pang of jealousy. He wrapped an arm around her waist she glanced at him but shrugged.

'**The mark of what?'**

'**Achilles,' Stheno said cheerfully. 'Oh, he was gorgeous! Dipped in the River Styx as a child, you know, so he was invulnerable except for a tiny spot on his ankle. That's what happened to you, dear. Someone must've dumped you in the Styx and made your skin like iron. But not to worry. Heroes like you always have a weak spot. We just have to find it, and then we can kill you. Won't that be lovely? Have a Cheese 'n' Wiener!'**

"She's a riot." Travis said smiling.

"I'm hunnnngrrry!" Connor groaned.

"We just ate!" Rachel exclaimed.

"So what?" Connor said.

**Percy tried to think. **

"Everyone take cover!" Thalia yelled and everyone laughed. It seemed that reading about Percy and his problems made everyone happier. No one was scared or worried about him because they knew he was alive and alright at least for now.

**He didn't remember any dip in the Styx. Then again, he didn't remember much of anything. His skin didn't feel like iron, but it would explain how he'd held out so long against the gorgons.**

**Maybe if he just fell down the mountain … would he survive? He didn't want to risk it – not without something to slow the fall, or a sled, or …**

**He looked at Stheno's large silver platter of free samples.**

**Hmm …**

"Oh no." Grover said.

'**Reconsidering?' Stheno asked. 'Very wise, dear. I added some gorgon's blood to these, so your death will be quick and painless.'**

**Percy's throat constricted. 'You added your blood to the Cheese 'n' Wieners?'**

'**Just a little.' Stheno smiled. 'A tiny nick on my arm, but you're sweet to be concerned. Blood from our right side can cure anything, you know, but blood from our left side is deadly –'**

"He's not concerned." Annabeth muttered.

'**You dimwit!' Euryale screeched. 'You're not supposed to tell him that! He won't eat the wieners if you tell him they're poisoned!'**

"She's as stupid as Travis and Connor." Will muttered loudly.

"HEY!"

**Stheno looked stunned. 'He won't? But I said it would be quick and painless.'**

"Point proven."

'**Never mind!' Euryale's fingernails grew into claws. 'We'll kill him the hard way – just keep slashing until we find the weak spot. Once we defeat Percy Jackson, we'll be more famous than Medusa! Our patron will reward us greatly!'**

**Percy gripped his sword. He'd have to time his move perfectly – a few seconds of confusion, grab the platter with his left hand …**

**Keep them talking, he thought.**

'**Before you slash me to bits,' he said, 'who's this patron you mentioned?'**

**Euryale sneered. 'The goddess Gaia, of course! The one who brought us back from oblivion! You won't live long enough to meet her, but your friends below will soon face her wrath. Even now, her armies are marching south. At the Feast of Fortune, she'll awaken, and the demigods will be cut down like – like –'**

Everyone fell silent. Gaea the Goddess that caused this whole mess.

"When's the Feast of Fortune?" Leo asked.

"June 24th." Jason answered immediately looking dazed in memories. The word made him have flashbacks.

'**Like our low prices at Bargain Mart!' Stheno suggested.**

Everyone immediately laughed. "If only she was our first monster, I could use a good laugh." Thalia said sadly."

"But just Stheno!" Nico said.

'**Gah!' Euryale stormed towards her sister. Percy took the opening. He grabbed Stheno's platter, scattering poisoned Cheese 'n' Wieners, and slashed Riptide across Euryale's waist, cutting her in half.**

**He raised the platter, and Stheno found herself facing her own greasy reflection.**

'**Medusa!' she screamed.**

"I thought Medusa was uglier." Leo said confused.

**Her sister Euryale had crumbled to dust, but she was already starting to re-form, like a snowman un-melting.**

'**Stheno, you fool!' she gurgled as her half-made face rose from the mound of dust. 'That's just your own reflection! Get him!'**

"She's really annoying." Nico said.

**Percy slammed the metal tray on top of Stheno's head, and she passed out cold.**

"Cool." Leo said.

**He put the platter behind his butt, said a silent prayer to whatever Roman god oversaw stupid sledding tricks and jumped off the side of the hill.**

"That's the end." Annabeth said, "Who wants to read next?"

"I WILL!" Nico said and he jumped up and grabbed the book from her hands.


	2. Chapter 2

**HELLO! **

**So to the guest named Taylor: THANK YOU because you pointed out something that made me have to make some quick changes which I'm grateful for. First you all know that this is on Christmas, sorry have to change that. It's around June a few days before the 16th Okay? Okay so to recap**

**THIS TAKES PLACE IN CAMP HALF-BLOOD ON JUNE 16th (At least when they get the book) **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON OR SON OF NEPTUNE OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS RICK RIORDAN DOES!**

**Enjoy! :D**

**By the way It's really long like.. 15 pages worth maybe more so prepare yourself.**

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**THE THING ABOUT PLUMMETING DOWNHILL at fifty miles an hour on a snack platter – if you realize it's a bad idea when you're halfway down, it's too late.**

All the campers who had met Percy groaned.

**Percy narrowly missed a tree, glanced off a boulder, and spun a three-sixty as he shot towards the highway. The stupid snack tray did not have power steering.**

"No duh." Thalia said rolling her eyes. Annabeth was biting her nails looking terrified.

**He heard the gorgon sisters screaming and caught a glimpse of Euryale's coral-snake hair at the top of the hill, but he didn't have time to worry about it. The roof of the apartment building loomed below him like the prow of a battleship. Head-on collision in ten, nine, eight …**

"SEVEN. SIX. FIVE. OW!" Travis who had begun counting down as well had just been shoved off his bench. The fire was steadily going lower because every demigod was nervous and worried about Percy even those who hadn't met him.

**He managed to swivel sideways to avoid breaking his legs on impact. The snack platter skittered across the roof and sailed through the air. The platter went one way. Percy went the other.**

**"**Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!" Annabeth breathed and Thalia wrapped an arm around her shoulders in comfort.

**As he fell towards the highway, a horrible scenario flashed through his mind: his body smashing against an SUV's windshield, some annoyed commuter trying to push him off with the wipers. Stupid sixteen-year-old kid falling from the sky! I'm late!**

Everyone laughed. Percy could seriously boost a mood up to laughter.

**Miraculously, a gust of wind blew him to one side – just enough to miss the highway and crash into a clump of bushes. It wasn't a soft landing, but it was better than tarmac.**

What's a tarmac?" Connor whined.

"A runaway." Someone from the Athena cabin immediately answered.

"That's stupid." He whined in reply.

**Percy groaned. He wanted to lie there and pass out, but he had to keep moving.**

"Just keep moving. Just keep moving. Just keep moving, moving, moving…" Travis sang.

"YOU IDIOT IT'S SWIMMIMG." Will yelled utterly annoyed someone could get one of the most catchiest songs ever wrong.

**He struggled to his feet. His hands were scratched up, but no bones seemed to be broken. He still had his backpack. Somewhere on the sled ride he'd lost his sword, but Percy knew it would eventually reappear in his pocket in pen form. That was part of its magic.**

"Magic!" Leo whispered in awe. Piper shot him a look.

**He glanced up the hill. The gorgons were hard to miss, with their colorful snake hair and their bright green Bargain Mart vests. They were picking their way down the slope, going slower than Percy but with a lot more control. Those chicken feet must've been good for climbing. Percy figured he had maybe five minutes before they reached him.**

"That's less than six!" Connor gasped.

"Someone give him an award!" Clarisse said loudly. Some people laughed.

**Next to him, a tall chain-link fence separated the highway from a neighborhood of winding streets, cozy houses and eucalyptus trees. The fence was probably there to keep people from getting onto the highway and doing stupid things – like sledding into the fast lane on snack trays – but the chain-link was full of big holes. Percy could easily slip through into the neighborhood. Maybe he could find a car and drive west to the ocean. He didn't like stealing cars, but over the past few weeks, in life-and-death situations, he'd 'borrowed' several, including a police cruiser. He'd meant to return them, but they never seemed to last very long.**

"SWEET" The entire Hermes cabin yelled.

"Hey that's just like how you 'borrowed' that BMW" Leo said slyly to Piper who growled when kids from the Hermes cabin went to tackle her in a hug to the ground chanting, "PIPER! PIPER! PIPER!" She shoved them off, punched Connor when he tried to tickle her and sat back down next to a smirking Jason.

**He glanced east. Just as he'd figured, a hundred yards uphill the highway cut through the base of the cliff. Two tunnel entrances, one for each direction of traffic, stared down at him like eye sockets of a giant skull. In the middle, where the nose would have been, a cement wall jutted from the hillside, with a metal door like the entrance to a bunker.**

"ENTRANCE TO CAMP JUPITER!" Jason suddenly yelled out.

"We got it." Rachel said.

**It might have been a maintenance tunnel. That's probably what mortals thought, if they noticed the door at all. But they couldn't see through the Mist. Percy knew the door was more than that.**

"I was right." Jason said smugly.

"No one disagreed." Thalia replied.

"No one agreed ether." Jason retaliated.

"So we agree to disagree?" Thalia asked and he nodded.

**Two kids in armor flanked the entrance. They wore a bizarre mix of plumed Roman helmets, breastplates, scabbards, blue jeans, purple T-shirts and white trainers. The guard on the right looked like a girl, though it was hard to tell for sure with all the armor. The one on the left was a stocky guy with a bow and quiver on his back. Both kids held long wooden staffs with iron spear tips, like old-fashioned harpoons.**

"ROMANS!" Jason cheered,

Thalia smacked her forehead and Rachel sighed and once more said, "We GOT it."

**Percy's internal radar was pinging like crazy. **

"First crazy, then nuts, now crazy again. PICK ONE!" Nico muttered,

**After so many horrible days, he'd finally reached his goal. His instincts told him that if he could make it inside that door he might find safety for the first time since the wolves had sent him south.**

**So why did he feel such dread?**

"I felt the same way." Jason said sadly.

"You're talking to a book." Annabeth stated.

**Further up the hill, the gorgons were scrambling over the roof of the apartment complex. Three minutes away – maybe less.**

**Part of him wanted to run to the door in the hill. He'd have to cross to the median of the highway, but then it would be a short sprint. He could make it before the gorgons reached him.**

**"**Yes he can if he had stamina." Thalia said.

**Part of him wanted to head west to the ocean. That's where he'd be safest. That's where his power would be greatest. Those Roman guards at the door made him uneasy. Something inside him said: This isn't my territory. This is dangerous.**

"MMMMMHMMMM." Jason said and Piper hit him implying that he should shut up.

**'You're right, of course,' said a voice next to him.**

"AAAH!" The Stolls shrieked and everyone rolled their eyes. "What? She snuck up on us." Travis said mock hurt.

"You mean Percy," Annabeth said annoyed.

**Percy jumped. **

"See he was shocked too." Connor said smugly. No one replied because they knew it wouldn't matter.

**At first he thought Beano had managed to sneak up on him again, but the old lady sitting in the bushes was even more repulsive than a gorgon. She looked like a hippie who'd been kicked to the side of the road maybe forty years ago, where she'd been collecting trash and rags ever since. She wore a dress made of tie-dyed cloth, ripped-up quilts, and plastic grocery bags. Her frizzy mop of hair was grey-brown, like root-beer foam, tied back with a peace-sign headband. Warts and moles covered her face. When she smiled, she showed exactly three teeth.**

**"**EW!" The Aphrodite cabin screamed.

"Doesn't anyone brush anymore?" Will muttered.

"NO!" Connor yelled grinning with teeth. They were white thank god.

**'It isn't a maintenance tunnel,' she confided. 'It's the entrance to camp.'**

"What camp, you may be wondering." Jason said, "Well, let me answer that…ITS CAMP JUPITER!"

"WE GOT IT!" Rachel said loudly feeling more annoyed by the second. Jason huffed,

"Just trying to show some pride for my fellow demi-gods."

"It's okay." Piper reassured him patting his arm and giving him a peck on the cheek.

**A jolt went up Percy's spine. Camp. Yes, that's where he was from. A camp. Maybe this was his home. Maybe Annabeth was close by.**

"AAAAAW." The Aphrodite cabin roared and Annabeth blushed while looking sad.

**But something felt wrong.**

"I know what's wrong!" Nico said, "Gaea is after you, no monsters can die, and the pretty much everyone but us wants you dead."

"That wasn't supposed to be answered Sherlock!" Someone yelled from behind and every laughed.

**The gorgons were still on the roof of the apartment building. Then Stheno shrieked in delight and pointed in Percy's direction.**

"Ugh." Annabeth groaned.

**The old hippie lady raised her eyebrows. 'Not much time, child. You need to make your choice.'**

**'Who are you?' Percy asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The last thing he needed was another harmless mortal who turned out to be a monster.**

"What's the first thing he needs?" Travis asked.

**'Oh, you can call me June.' The old lady's eyes sparkled as if she'd made an excellent joke. 'It is June, isn't it? They named the month after me!'**

"Hera." Thalia and Annabeth growled their eyes narrowing down to slits. Grover and Nico gulped and scooted away from them since they were sharing a bench.

**'Okay … Look, I should go. Two gorgons are coming. I don't want them to hurt you.'**

"AAAAAW," Aphrodite's cabin screeched once more.

"SHUT UP!" Clarisse roared and Piper felt embarrassed for her cabin.

"Let them!" Annabeth said. The sky thundered and she looked up and said, "Don't care! YOU took Percy away from us."

**June clasped her hands over her heart. 'How sweet! But that's part of your choice!'**

**'My choice …' Percy glanced nervously towards the hill. The gorgons had taken off their green vests. Wings sprouted from their backs – small bat wings, which glinted like brass.**

**Since when did they have wings? Maybe they were Ornamental. Maybe they were too small to get a gorgon into the air. Then the two sisters leaped off the apartment building and soared towards him.**

"Of course they have wings Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth moaned.

"Great. Just great." Thalia muttered.

**Great. Just great.**

Everyone laughed and Thalia gasped and said, "Oh no! I'm turning into him! I've been cursed!"

**'Yes, a choice,' June said, as if she were in no hurry. 'You could leave me here at the mercy of the gorgons and go to the ocean. You'd make it there safely, I guarantee. The gorgons will be quite happy to attack me and let you go. In the sea, no monster would bother you. You could begin a new life, live to a ripe old age, and escape a great deal of pain and misery that is in your future.'**

Everyone winced. They hated making choices like that.

**Percy was pretty sure he wasn't going to like the second option. 'Or?'**

**'Or you could do a good deed for an old lady,' she said. 'Carry me to the camp with you.'**

"Stupid Hera…making him choose…taking his memories…not worried about gorgons….stupid…Percy….Romans." Annabeth muttered angrily and Grover wrapped his arm around her.

**'Carry you?' Percy hoped she was kidding. Then June hiked up her skirts and showed him her swollen purple feet.**

"EW!"

**'I can't get there by myself,' she said. 'Carry me to camp – across the highway, through the tunnel, across the river.'**

"What river?" Leo asked.

"THE TIBER RIVER!" Jason said looking really excited. He'd been away from camps for two months he really wanted to know what was happening.

**Percy didn't know what river she meant, but it didn't sound easy. June looked pretty heavy.**

"Yeah carrying that stupid ego around with her." Thalia muttered.

**The gorgons were only fifty yards away now – leisurely gliding towards him as if they knew the hunt was almost over.**

**Percy looked at the old lady. 'And I'd carry you to this camp because – ?'**

"Just carry her!" Grover exclaimed. Did Percy have no care for his safety at all?

**'Because it's a kindness!' she said. 'And if you don't the gods will die, the world we know will perish and everyone from your old life will be destroyed. Of course, you wouldn't remember them, so I suppose it won't matter. You'd be safe at the bottom of the sea …'**

"No. No. No. NO!" Annabeth said starting to hyperventilate. Thalia murmured something to her and she immediately relaxed.

**Percy swallowed. The gorgons shrieked with laughter as they soared in for the kill.**

**'If I go to the camp,' he said, 'will I get my memory back?'**

**"**HE BETTER!"

**'Eventually,' June said. 'But be warned, you will sacrifice much! You'll lose the mark of Achilles. You'll feel pain, misery and loss beyond anything you've ever known. But you might have a chance to save your old friends and family, to reclaim your old life.'**

"What? It took me a year to convince him to get it!" Nico said.

**The gorgons were circling right overhead. They were Probably studying the old woman, trying to figure out who the new player was before they struck.**

**'What about those guards at the door?' Percy asked.**

**June smiled. 'Oh, they'll let you in, dear. You can trust those two. So, what do you say? Will you help a defenseless old woman?'**

**"**Defenseless my foot." Annabeth grumbled.

**Percy doubted June was defenseless. At worst, this was a trap. At best, it was some kind of test.**

"Hate tests." Mostly everyone in the camp said except Athena's kids.

**Percy hated tests. Since he'd lost his memory, his whole life was one big fill-in-the-blank. He was _, from _. He felt like _, and if the monsters caught him, he'd be _.**

"He was Percy Jackson, from Camp Half-Blood. He felt like crap, and if the monsters caught him, he'd be dead." Travis proudly announced.

**Then he thought about Annabeth, the only part of his old life he was sure about. He had to find her.**

"AAAAAAW!"

"SHUT UP!" This time Clarisse and Piper yelled. Clarisse nodded towards her and she nodded back.

**'I'll carry you.' He scooped up the old woman.**

"DOUBLE AAAAW"

"Seriously if you do that one more time—"Clarisse growled.

"Clarisse!" Annabeth snapped she was red and happy inside but she couldn't let a fight break out.

**She was lighter than he expected. Percy tried to ignore her sour breath and her calloused hands clinging to his neck. He made it across the first lane of traffic. A driver honked. Another yelled something that was lost in the wind.**

"Probably something likes 'YOU NASTY OLD TEENAGER GET OFF MY LAWN!" Connor said.

"They're on a highway!" Katie said.

** Most just swerved and looked irritated, as if they had to deal with a lot of ratty teenagers carrying old hippie women across the highway here in Berkeley.**

**A shadow fell over him. Stheno called down gleefully, 'Clever boy! Found a goddess to carry, did you?'**

"Gasp!" Travis said fake shocked.

**A goddess?**

"Double gasp!"

**June cackled with delight, muttering, 'Whoops!' as a car almost killed them.**

"Whoops?" Thalia said with raised eyebrows.

"Is she drunk?" Nico asked and thunder roared in the sky…again.

**Somewhere off to his left, Euryale screamed, 'Get them! Two prizes are better than one!'**

"No, no she got it all wrong. It's two _heads _are better than one." Leo scolded.

**Percy bolted across the remaining lanes. Somehow he made it to the median alive. He saw the gorgons swooping down, cars swerving as the monsters passed overhead. He wondered what the mortals saw through the Mist – giant pelicans? Off-course hang gliders? The wolf Lupa had told him that mortal minds could believe just about anything – except the truth.**

"Little idiots." Clarisse muttered.

"Yeah but you're half mortal." Travis pointed out.

"Well at least I didn't get the stupidity of a mortal unlike you."

"HEY!"

**Percy ran for the door in the hillside. June got heavier with every step. Percy's heart pounded. His ribs ached.**

**One of the guards yelled. The guy with the bow nocked an arrow. Percy shouted, 'Wait!'**

"AND START DANCING!" Leo yelled out.

**But the boy wasn't aiming at him. The arrow flew over Percy's head. A gorgon wailed in pain. The second guard readied her spear, gesturing frantically at Percy to hurry.**

"Guess what?" Jason asked gleefully.

"What?" Piper said warily.

"THOSE ARE ROMANS!"

"WE GOT IT!" Rachel yelled. Jason looked hurt.

**Fifty feet from the door. Thirty feet.**

**"**He forgot forty feet," Connor said.

**'Gotcha!' shrieked Euryale. Percy turned as an arrow thudded into her forehead. Euryale tumbled into the fast lane. A truck slammed into her and carried her backwards a hundred yards, but she just climbed over the cab, pulled the arrow out of her head, and launched back into the air.**

"Whoa someone's really persistent." Nico said with raised eyebrows.

**Percy reached the door. 'Thanks,' he told the guards. 'Good shot.'**

**'That should've killed her!' the archer protested.**

**'Welcome to my world,' Percy muttered.**

"Oh so now his ego is so big he has his own world?" Thalia said crossing her arms.

**'Frank,' the girl said. 'Get them inside, quick! Those are gorgons.'**

"I don't know a Frank." Jason frowned.

**'Gorgons?' The archer's voice squeaked. It was hard to tell much about him under the helmet, but he looked stout like a wrestler, maybe fourteen or fifteen. 'Will the door hold them?'**

"YEAH! THIS IS ROMANS WE ARE RALKIG ABOUT!"

**In Percy's arms, June cackled. 'No, no it won't. Onward, Percy Jackson! Through the tunnel, over the river!'**

"Ha! You were wrong." Nico cackled.

"Shut up."

**'Percy Jackson?' The female guard was darker-skinned, with curly hair sticking out the sides of her helmet. She looked younger than Frank – maybe thirteen. Her sword scabbard came down almost to her ankle. Still, she sounded like she was the one in charge. 'Okay, you're obviously a demigod. But who's the –?' She glanced at June. 'Never mind. Just get inside. I'll hold them off.'**

**"**That's Hazel!" Jason exclaimed grinning. Hazel was the sweetest girl in the world. Nico's eyes widened but he stayed silent.

**'Hazel,' the boy said. 'Don't be crazy.'**

"HA! I WAS RIGHT"

"No one said you were wrong!" Thalia said annoyed.

"Well no one said I was—"

Nico cut them off knowing where the argument was heading.

**'Go!' she demanded.**

**Frank cursed in another language – was that Latin? – and opened the door. 'Come on!'**

"No it wasn't, it was Chinese." Clarisse said sarcastically.

**Percy followed, staggering under the weight of the old lady, who was definitely getting heavier. He didn't know how that girl Hazel would hold off the gorgons by herself, but he was too tired to argue.**

**The tunnel cut through solid rock, about the width and height of a school hallway. At first, it looked like a typical maintenance tunnel, with electric cables, warning signs, fuse boxes on the walls and light bulbs in wire cages along the ceiling. As they ran deeper into the hillside, the cement floor changed to tiled mosaic. The lights changed to reed torches, which burned but didn't smoke. A few hundred yards ahead, Percy saw a square of daylight.**

"Square?" Travis asked.

"Why not rectangle or circle?" Leo asked.

"Yeah squares are annoying they think they are ALL that." Connor huffed.

**The old lady was heavier now than a pile of sandbags. Percy's arms shook from the strain. June mumbled a song in Latin, like a lullaby, which didn't help Percy concentrate.**

"Revolting…stupid…Hera…annoying…trying to kill him…" Annabeth muttered once more.

**Behind them, the gorgons' voices echoed in the tunnel. Hazel shouted. Percy was tempted to dump June and run back to help, but then the entire tunnel shook with the rumble of falling stone. **

"AAAW HE"S SO LOYAL!"

"And HOTT..."

"EXCUSE ME?"

"SHUT UP!" the entire Ares cabin roared.

**There was a squawking sound, just like the gorgons had made when Percy had dropped a crate of bowling balls on them in Napa. He glanced back. The west end of the tunnel was now filled with dust.**

**'Shouldn't we check on Hazel?' he asked.**

"HE'S SO SWEET!"

"SHAT YOUR TRAPS OR I'LL DO IT FOR YOU!"

**'She'll be okay – I hope,' Frank said. 'She's good underground. Just keep moving! We're almost there.'**

**'Almost where?'**

**June chuckled. 'All roads lead there, child. You should know that.'**

"Disney land?" Travis asked.

**'Detention?' Percy asked.**

Everyone laughed. "Ha! You were wrong." Connor said grinning.

**'Rome, child,' the old woman said. 'Rome.'**

"Technically it's California but whatever." Jason seemed to feel the need to point that out.

**Percy wasn't sure he'd heard her right. True, his memory was gone. His brain hadn't felt right since he had woken up at the Wolf House. But he was pretty sure Rome wasn't in California.**

**"**See?" Jason said.

Everyone rolled their eyes. "Of course he'd be pretty sure not completely sure like any other person who has brain." Thalia said.

"He is smart just not when it comes to academics." Annabeth defended.

"Well he's smarter than the Stolls!" Someone called out. There was some laughter,

"HEY!"

**They kept running. The glow at the end of the tunnel grew brighter, and finally they burst into sunlight. Percy froze.**

"Oh my gods, is he going to sparkle?" Piper gasped. Leo and Nico snorted.

** Spread out at his feet was a bowl-shaped valley several miles wide. The basin floor was rumpled with smaller hills, golden plains and stretches of forest. A small clear river cut a winding course from a lake in the centre and round the perimeter, like a capital G.**

Jason grinned at the description of his home camp.

**The geography could've been anywhere in northern California – live oaks and eucalyptus trees, gold hills and blue skies. That big inland mountain – what was it called, Mount Diablo? – rose in the distance, right where it should be.**

"Wait so he wasn't sure if Rome was in California or not, but he knew Mount Diablo was in its' right place?" Piper asked and Annabeth nodded smiling.

**But Percy felt like he'd stepped into a secret world. In the centre of the valley, nestled by the lake, was a small city of white marble buildings with red-tiled roofs. Some had domes and columned porticoes, like national monuments. Others looked like palaces, with golden doors and large gardens. He could see an open plaza with freestanding columns, fountains and statues. A five-storey-tall Roman coliseum gleamed in the sun, next to a long oval arena like a racetrack.**

"Wow I wonder how old that coliseum was. How tall is it? It is really wide?" Annabeth interrogated ether the book or Jason.

**Across the lake to the south, another hill was dotted with even more impressive buildings – temples, Percy guessed. Several stone bridges crossed the river as it wound through the valley and, in the north, a long line of brickwork arches stretched from the hills into the town. Percy thought it looked like an elevated train track. Then he realized it must be an aqueduct.**

"Wow. Must be beautiful." Piper breathed and Jason nodded eagerly he couldn't wait till his new friends saw his home.

**The strangest part of the valley was right below him. About two hundred yards away, just across the river, was some sort of military encampment. It was about a quarter mile square, with earthen ramparts on all four sides, the tops lined with sharpened spikes. Outside the walls ran a dry moat, also studded with spikes. Wooden watchtowers rose at each corner, manned by sentries with oversized mounted crossbows. Purple banners hung from the towers.**

** A wide gateway opened on the far side of camp, leading towards the city. A narrower gate stood closed on the riverbank side. Inside, the fortress bustled with activity: dozens of kids going to and from barracks, carrying weapons, polishing armour. Percy heard the clank of hammers at a forge and smelled meat cooking over a fire.**

"I'm hunngry." Connor whined.

"WE JUST ATE." Katie yelled

**Something about this place felt very familiar, yet not quite right.**

"Wait how would it be familiar?" Chris asked.

"Because it probably somehow reminded him of Camp Half-Blood." Annabeth answered.

**'Camp Jupiter,' Frank said. 'We'll be safe once –'**

**Footsteps echoed in the tunnel behind them. Hazel burst into the light. She was covered with stone dust and breathing hard. She'd lost her helmet, so her curly brown hair fell around her shoulders. Her armour had long slash marks in front from the claws of a gorgon. One of the monsters had tagged her with a 50% OFF sticker.**

**'I slowed them down,' she said. 'But they'll be here any second.'**

"DUN DUN DUNNN!" The Stolls screamed making everyone jump.

**Frank cursed. 'We have to get across the river.'**

**June squeezed Percy's neck tighter. 'Oh, yes, please. I can't get my dress wet.'**

"Stupid…lady…Hera…doesn't deserve…why did you guys save her…hate cows." I think we all know who was muttering under their breath.

**Percy bit his tongue. If this lady was a goddess, she must've been the goddess of smelly, heavy, useless hippies. **

Everyone laughed.

**But he'd come this far. He'd better keep lugging her along.**

"Good." Rachel nodded.

**It's a kindness, she'd said. And if you don't the gods will die, the world we know will perish and everyone from your old life will be destroyed.**

Everyone fell silent and shuddered as a strange breeze flew in.

**If this was a test, he couldn't afford to get an F.**

"F? Is that even a grade people get?" Someone from Athena's cabin asked.

"I can't imagine getting that." Malcolm shuddered along with everyone in his cabin. The Ares cabin rolled their eyes.

**He stumbled a few times as they ran for the river. Frank and Hazel kept him on his feet.**

"Hazel will make sure he doesn't die from anything stupid don't worry." Jason reassured a worried looking Annabeth.

**They reached the riverbank, and Percy stopped to catch his breath. The current was fast, but the river didn't look deep. Only a stone's throw across stood the gates of the fort.**

**'Go, Hazel.' Frank nocked two arrows at once. 'Escort Percy so the sentries don't shoot him. It's my turn to hold off the baddies.'**

"Baddies." Connor snorted.

"More like Badmans…get it?" Travis laughed at his pathetic joke.

**Hazel nodded and waded into the stream.**

**Percy started to follow, but something made him hesitate. Usually he loved the water, but this river seemed … powerful, and not necessarily friendly.**

"How can water not be friendly? No wait, how can it be friendly it has no emotions." Piper questioned.

**'The Little Tiber,' said June sympathetically. 'It flows with the power of the original Tiber, river of the empire. This is your last chance to back out, child. The mark of Achilles is a Greek blessing. You can't retain it if you cross into Roman territory. The Tiber will wash it away.'**

Everyone tensed. Surely Percy wouldn't abandon them. He wouldn't leave them would he?

**Percy was too exhausted to understand all that, but he got the main point. 'If I cross, I won't have iron skin anymore?'**

"Oh no! He'll have to bear his injuries just like us!" Clarisse fake gasped.

**June smiled. 'So what will it be? Safety, or a future of pain and possibility?'**

"PAIN! PAIN! PAIN! PAIN!" The Stolls cheered. Clarisse had the pleasure of knocking them to the ground.

**Behind him, the gorgons screeched as they flew from the tunnel. Frank let his arrows fly.**

**From the middle of the river, Hazel yelled, 'Percy, come on!'**

**Up on the watchtowers, horns blew. The sentries shouted and swiveled their crossbows towards the gorgons.**

"Took them long enough." Annabeth muttered.

**Annabeth, Percy thought. **

"AAAAW!"

Annabeth smiled and blushed. The ache in her stomach grew though because now she missed him twice as much. She should have been there with him helping him face the monsters. They'd been together from the start and now Hera and her stupid plans messed that up.

**He forged into the river. It was icy cold, much swifter than he'd imagined, but that didn't bother him. New strength surged through his limbs. His senses tingled like he'd been injected with caffeine. He reached the other side and put the old woman down as the camp's gates opened. Dozens of kids in armor poured out.**

"FELLOW ROMANS!"

**Hazel turned with a relieved smile. Then she looked over Percy's shoulder, and her expression changed to horror. 'Frank!'**

**"**NO NOT FRANK HE WAS OUR ONLY BROTHER!" The Stolls screamed.

**Frank was halfway across the river when the gorgons caught him. They swooped out of the sky and grabbed him by either arm. He screamed in pain as their claws dug into his skin.**

"Ouch." Thalia winced.

**The sentries yelled, but Percy knew they couldn't get a clear shot. They'd end up killing Frank. The other kids drew swords and got ready to charge into the water, but they'd be too late.**

**There was only one way.**

**Percy thrust out his hands. An intense tugging sensation filled his gut, and the Tiber obeyed his will. The river surged. Whirlpools formed on either side of Frank. Giant watery hands erupted from the stream, copying Percy's movements. The giant hands grabbed the gorgons, who dropped Frank in surprise. Then the hands lifted the squawking monsters in a liquid vice grip.**

**"**Whoa." The entire camp breathed in shock even the older ones that had seen Percy do water tricks.

**Percy heard the other kids yelping and backing away, but he stayed focused on his task. He made a smashing gesture with his fists, and the giant hands plunged the gorgons into the Tiber. The monsters hit bottom and broke into dust. Glittering clouds of gorgon essence struggled to re-form, but the river pulled them apart like a blender. Soon every trace of the gorgons was swept downstream. The whirlpools vanished, and the current returned to normal.**

"PERCY! PERCY! PERCY! PERCY!" The entire camp cheered.

**Percy stood on the riverbank. His clothes and his skin steamed as if the Tiber's waters had given him an acid bath. He felt exposed, raw … vulnerable.**

"Curse is gone." Annabeth muttered.

**In the middle of the Tiber, Frank stumbled around, looking stunned but perfectly fine. Hazel waded out and helped him ashore. Only then did Percy realize how quiet the other kids had become.**

"Ha! That's how we felt when Percy was announced son of Poseidon" Grover laughed.

**Everyone was staring at him. Only the old lady June looked unfazed.**

"That's because she's a bratty Goddess." Annabeth mumbled.

**'Well, that was a lovely trip,' she said. 'Thank you, Percy Jackson, for bringing me to Camp Jupiter.'**

**One of the girls made a choking sound. 'Percy … Jackson?'**

**She sounded as if she recognized his name. Percy focused on her, hoping to see a familiar face.**

"No going to happen." Jason said.

"Why would someone recognize Percy?" Thalia frowned.

**She was obviously a leader. She wore a regal purple cloak over her armour. Her chest was decorated with medals. She must have been about Percy's age, with dark, piercing eyes and long black hair. Percy didn't recognize her, but the girl stared at him as if she'd seen him in her nightmares.**

"REYNA!" Jason cheered. "Wait how does she know Percy?"

**June laughed with delight. 'Oh, yes. You'll have such fun together!'**

**Then, just because the day hadn't been weird enough already, the old lady began to glow and change form. She grew until she was a shining seven-foot-tall goddess in a blue dress, with a cloak that looked like goat's skin over her shoulders. Her face was stern and stately. In her hand was a staff topped with a lotus flower.**

**If it was possible for the campers to look more stunned, they did. The girl with the purple cloak knelt. The others followed her lead. One kid got down so hastily he almost impaled himself on his sword.**

Everyone laughed.

**Hazel was the first to speak. 'Juno.'**

"No duh Sherlock." Clarisse muttered. Nico glared at her and she shot him a confused look. What was wrong with him?

**She and Frank also fell to their knees, leaving Percy the only one standing. He knew he should probably kneel too, but after carrying the old lady so far, he didn't feel like showing her that much respect.**

The campers cheered, "YEAH PERCY!" Annabeth yelled grinning.

**'Juno, huh?' he said. 'If I passed your test, can I have my memory and my life back?'**

"She won't." Jason muttered.

**The goddess smiled. 'In time, Percy Jackson, if you succeed here at camp. You've done well today, which is a good start. Perhaps there's hope for you yet.'**

"Well that's encouraging." Thalia said.

**She turned to the other kids. 'Romans, I present to you the son of Neptune. For months he has been slumbering, but now he is awake.**

"That's why we couldn't find him for so long!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"He's been napping while we were on a quest rescuing Hera?" Leo asked appalled.

"Lucky." Piper muttered.

** His fate is in your hands. The Feast of Fortune comes quickly, and Death must be unleashed if you are to stand any hope in the battle. Do not fail me!'**

"Death?"

"Fate?"

"Feast of Fortune?"

Everyone murmured to others until Nico cleared his throat and read on,

**Juno shimmered and disappeared. Percy looked at Hazel and Frank for some kind of explanation, but they seemed just as confused as he was.**

"Aw shucks!" Travis said suddenly.

** Frank was holding something Percy hadn't noticed before – two small clay flasks with cork stoppers, like potions, one in each hand. Percy had no idea where they'd come from, but he saw Frank slip them into his pockets. Frank gave him a look like: We'll talk about it later.**

"That's the kind of look a mother gives when their child is being stupid in public." Leo laughed and everyone who had a mortal mother nodded.

**The girl in the purple cloak stepped forward. She examined Percy warily, and Percy couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted to run him through with her dagger.**

Annabeth tensed and Jason grinned lazily, "Oh don't worry she gives that look to everybody I'm no exception ether."

**'So,' she said coldly, 'a son of Neptune, who comes to us with the blessing of Juno.'**

"She makes that sound like it's a bad thing." Connor said.

"It is!" Grover exclaimed.

**'Look,' he said, 'my memory's a little fuzzy. Um, it's gone, actually. Do I know you?'**

"Nope."

**The girl hesitated. 'I am Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. And … no, I don't know you.'**

"I WAS RIGHT IT IS REYNA!"

"No one said you were wrong." Thalia started again. Someone groaned.

**That last part was a lie. **

"Liar, liar, pants on fire." The Stolls sang.

**Percy could tell from her eyes. But he also understood that if he argued with her about it here, in front of her soldiers, she wouldn't appreciate it.**

"Meaning she would run him through with a sword." Jason interpreted.

**'Hazel,' said Reyna, 'bring him inside. I want to question him at the principia. Then we'll send him to Octavian. We must consult the auguries before we decide what to do with him.'**

"WhoseOctavian?"

"Isn't he a Queen?"

"Queen of what?"

"Spain right?"

"HE WAS THE EMPORER OF ROME YOU DIMWITS!" Jason roared feeling quite offended.

**'What do you mean,' Percy asked, '"decide what to do with" me?'**

"She means he'll decide whether he likes you or not." Grover said.

"You didn't need to answer that Grover." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Reyna's hand tightened on her dagger. Obviously she was not used to having her orders questioned. **

"Well Reyna meet Percy, a boy who can't keep his mouth shut." Thalia said.

**'Before we accept anyone into camp, we must interrogate them and read the auguries. Juno said your fate is in our hands. We have to know whether the goddess has brought us a new recruit …'**

"Interrogate? That's mean." Katie huffed.

**Reyna studied Percy as if she found that doubtful.**

**'Or,' she said more hopefully, 'if she's brought us an enemy to kill.'**

"Well on that happy note we'll read tomorrow." Chiron said trotting in out of nowhere and everyone protested.

"What?"

"He might die Chiron!"

"The suspense will kill me!"

"I'm not even tired!"

"Do you want that suspense to kill me? Do you want me to die? I refuse to die because of a book."

"Only Clovis is snoring no one else!"

"This is not fair!"

"I took off time from building my ship for this I deserve another chapter!"

"ENOUGH!" Chiron yelled then sighed. "Okay ONE more chapter then you guys have to go to sleep."

Everyone cheered and Thalia took the book from Nico and read,

* * *

**GASP! TWO posts in ONE day?! Is it Christmas? **

**No. **

**I just have no life and what do you do when you have no life? **

**A. sleep.**

**B. eat.**

**C. Write!**

**Guess what the answer is...it's D. ALL OF THE ABOVE!**

**Anyways yeah this is pretty long probably took you three hours (hopefully not) **

**THANK YOU for all the comments and follows and favorites and stuff.**

** Now just because I posted twice doesn't mean I'm gonna be posting two chapters a day. I guess I was just in a really good mood today and felt like writing ALL day. Sorry, this is the LAST post of today. Yep...there's no THRICE post.**

**I'll post this Friday or maybe Thursday it'll depend on my mood.**

** So don't be all like POST POST POST in your comments. I know you want me to but it takes a while and I hate feeling pressured cause then my work is terrible. And no one wants terrible work. :)**

**Thanks again.**

**R&R**

**-BB247**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I DONT OWN PERCY JACKSON OR HEROES OF OLYMPUS OR THE SON OF NEPTU  
NE! ANYTHING THAT RICK RIORDAN HAS PUBLISHED I DON't OWN (though it would be nice too) **

**Enjoy**

* * *

**PERCY WASN'T SCARED OF GHOSTS, **

"Hey! That's my bit!" Nico pouted

**which was lucky. Half the people in camp were dead.**

"That's just wonderful." Rachel said.

**Shimmering purple warriors stood outside the armory, polishing ethereal swords. Others hung out in front of the barracks. A ghostly boy chased a ghostly dog down the street. And at the stables a big glowing red dude with the head of a wolf guarded a herd of … Were those unicorns?**

Everyone laughed and the Will snorted, "Unicorns? Even the _Stolls_ know they aren't real."

**None of the campers paid the ghosts much attention, but as Percy's entourage walked by, with Reyna in the lead and Frank and Hazel on either side, all the spirits stopped what they were doing and stared at Percy. A few looked angry. The little boy ghost shrieked something like 'Greggus!' and turned invisible.**

"OH MY GOD NOBODY TOLD ME PERCY WAS A GREGGUS!" Travis screamed in shock.

**Percy wished he could turn invisible too. **

"If only he had my hat." Annabeth smirked. Thalia smiled, ever since they started reading Annabeth was happier and started to joke more and sulk less. It was as if Percy was with them.

**After weeks on his own, all this attention made him uneasy. He stayed between Hazel and Frank and tried to look inconspicuous.**

"Not going to work." Someone sang.

**'Am I seeing things?' he asked. 'Or are those –'**

"MUSHROOMS!"

"NINJAS!"

"ZOMBIES!"

"UNICORNS!"

"GHOSTS!" Grover shouted wanting to participate with the Hermes cabin.

"Okay no, that's just stupid." Connor said rolling his eyes.

**'Ghosts?' Hazel turned. She had startling eyes, like fourteen-karat gold. 'They're Lares. House gods.'**

"TOLD YOU!" Grover said grinning.

"There not ghosts, they're _house gods_." Connor retorted.

"Do you even know what that means?"

"Yeah…"

**'House gods,' Percy said. 'Like … smaller than real gods, but larger than apartment gods?'**

Everyone who had met Percy groaned.

**'They're ancestral spirits,' Frank explained. He'd removed his helmet, revealing a babyish face that didn't go with his military haircut or his big burly frame. He looked like a toddler who'd taken steroids and joined the Marines.**

"Is that a compliment or insult?" Rachel asked.

**'The Lares are kind of like mascots,' he continued. 'Mostly they're harmless, but I've never seen them so agitated.'**

**'They're staring at me,' Percy said. 'That ghost kid called me Greggus. My name isn't Greg.'**

"Au contour my friend, but it is." Travis said trying to do a French accent while wriggling his eyebrows which made it look like his face was twitching.

**'Graecus,' Hazel said. 'Once you've been here a while, you'll start understanding Latin. Demigods have a natural sense for it. Graecus means Greek.'**

"NOBODY TOLD ME PERCY WAS GREEK!"

Face-palm.

**'Is that bad?' Percy asked.**

"NO!" Roared the entire camp even Jason who had grown fond of the fellow campers.

**Frank cleared his throat. 'Maybe not. You've got that type of complexion, the dark hair and all. Maybe they think you're actually Greek. Is your family from there?'**

**'Don't know. Like I said, my memory is gone.'**

Annabeth growled something no one could catch except Thalia which sounded like, "Going to strangle Hera..."

**'Or maybe …' Frank hesitated.**

**'What?' Percy asked.**

**'Probably nothing,' Frank said. 'Romans and Greeks have an old rivalry. Sometimes Romans use graecus as an insult for someone who's an outsider – an enemy. I wouldn't worry about it.'**

**He sounded pretty worried.**

"Almost as bad as Grover." Jake muttered.

"HEY!"

**They stopped at the centre of camp, where two wide stone-paved roads met at a T.**

"T FOR TRAVIS!" Travis roared proudly.

"Someone give the boy a reward!" Clarisse said sarcastically.

**A street sign labeled the road to the main gates as VIA PRAETORIA. The other road, cutting across the middle of camp, was labeled VIA PRINCIPALIS. Under those markers were hand-painted signs like BERKELEY 5 MILES; NEW ROME 1 MILE; OLD ROME 7,280 MILES; HADES 2,310 MILES (pointing straight down); RENO 208 MILES; and CERTAIN DEATH: YOU ARE HERE!**

"That's nice." Katie murmured.

**For certain death, the place looked pretty clean and orderly. The buildings were freshly whitewashed, laid out in neat grids like the camp had been designed by a fussy maths teacher.**

"Or Mrs. Dodds." Grover grinned and everyone stared at him, "Remember Percy's first monster ever was a Kindly One disguised as a math teacher?"

** The barracks had shady porches, where campers lounged in hammocks or played cards and drank sodas. Each dorm had a different collection of banners out front displaying Roman numerals and various animals – eagle, bear, wolf, horse and something that looked like a hamster.**

"You'd think it'd be something like a lion not a hamster." Mark from the Ares cabin snickered.

"Yeah hamsters are fat hairy puff balls that can't do anything." Clarisse agreed sniggering.

"I HAVE A PET HAMSTER LADY!" Clovis yelled out from the back, he loved hamsters they were great to cuddle with when sleeping.

**Along the Via Praetoria, rows of shops advertised food, armour, weapons, coffee, gladiator equipment and toga rentals. A chariot dealership had a big advertisement out front: CAESAR XLS W/ANTILOCK BRAKES, NO DENARII DOWN!**

"Denarii?"

"Isn't that bread?"

"Probably French."

"French people annoy me."

"Yeah, they're snobbish like the word _Denarii_."

"Hey! I'm French!" (Drew)

"Point proven."

"IT'S THE ROMAN CURRANCY YOU MORONS!" Jason yelled furiously.

**At one corner of the crossroads stood the most impressive building – a two-story wedge of white marble with a columned portico like an old-fashioned bank. Roman guards stood out front. Over the doorway hung a big purple banner with the gold letters SPQR embroidered inside a laurel wreath.**

"That's on Jason's arm right?" Grover frowned Jason nodded.

**'Your headquarters?' Percy asked.**

"Oh my god! They're spies?" Connor gasped.

**Reyna faced him, her eyes still cold and hostile. 'It's called the principia.'**

"Whoa! She's like Annabeth on her first day giving Percy a tour." Grover snickered.

"What? I was not cold and hostile." Annabeth exclaimed.

"Yes you were," The Stolls said in unison

**She scanned the mob of curious campers who had followed them from the river. 'Everyone back to your duties. I'll give you an update at evening muster. Remember, we have war games after dinner.'**

"War games?"

"How is a war a game?"

"It's the best game ever!" (Ares kid)

"No, people die!"

"Whatever. Look at the bad side. _Be_ negative."

**The thought of dinner made Percy's stomach rumble.**

"Like the sky or Thalia." Leo mused.

** The scent of barbecue from the dining hall made his mouth water. **

Cue mouthwatering from boys.

**The bakery down the street smelled pretty wonderful too, but he doubted Reyna would let him get an order to go.**

"Nope." Jason said popping the –p.

**The crowd dispersed reluctantly. Some muttered comments about Percy's chances.**

**'He's dead,' said one.**

**'Would be those two who found him,' said another.**

**'Yeah,' muttered another. 'Let him join the Fifth Cohort. Greeks and geeks.'**

"HEY! FIFTH COHORT ROCKS!" Jason yelled.

"HE WILL NOT DIE!" Annabeth screamed.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH HAZEL?" Nico shouted. Everyone stared at him, he shrugged his face red.

**Several kids laughed at that, but Reyna scowled at them, and they cleared off.**

**'Hazel,' Reyna said. 'Come with us. I want your report on what happened at the gates.'**

**'Me too?' Frank said. 'Percy saved my life. We've got to let him –'**

**Reyna gave Frank such a harsh look that he stepped back.**

"She must be jealous." Travis snorted.

"How would she be jealous?" Piper asked.

"Well—"

Thalia cut them off,

**'I'd remind you, Frank Zhang,' she said, 'you are on Probatio yourself. You've caused enough trouble this week.'**

"Embarrassing." Drew whistled.

**Frank's ears turned red.**

"He's like Ron Weasly!" A kid from Athena cabin exclaimed. Everyone except people from the Athena cabin gave them blank looks. **(A/N: I HAD to make a Harry Potter reference sorry :)**

** He fiddled with a little tablet on a cord round his neck. Percy hadn't paid much attention to it, but it looked like a name tag made out of lead.**

**'Go to the armory,' Reyna told him. 'Check our inventory. I'll call you if I need you.'**

**'But –' Frank caught himself. 'Yes, Reyna.'**

**He hurried off.**

"Like squirrels." Leo whispered giggling.

**Reyna waved Hazel and Percy towards the headquarters. 'Now, Percy Jackson, let's see if we can improve your memory.'**

Annabeth nodded.

**The principia was even more impressive inside.**

Jason looked smug.

**On the ceiling glittered a mosaic of Romulus and Remus under their adopted mama she-wolf (Lupa had told Percy that story a million times). The floor was polished marble. The walls were draped in velvet, so Percy felt like he was inside the world's most expensive camping tent. Along the back wall stood a display of banners and wooden poles studded with bronze medals – military symbols, Percy guessed. In the centre was one empty display stand, as if the main banner had been taken down for cleaning or something.**

**In the back corner, a stairwell led down. It was blocked by a row of iron bars like a prison door. Percy wondered what was down there – monsters? Treasure? Amnesiac demigods who had got on Reyna's bad side?**

Everyone laughed.

**In the centre of the room, a long wooden table was cluttered with scrolls, notebooks, tablet computers, daggers and a large bowl filled with jelly beans, which seemed kind of out of place. Two life-sized statues of greyhounds – one silver, one gold – flanked the table.**

"Argentum and Aurum." Jason mouthed to himself grinning.

**Reyna walked behind the table and sat in one of two high-backed chairs. Percy wished he could sit in the other, but Hazel remained standing. Percy got the feeling he was supposed to also.**

"Thank Gods Percy isn't stupid enough to do anything disrespectful." Annabeth groaned.

**'So …' he started to say.**

**The dog statues bared their teeth and growled.**

"WHAT? METAL DOGS!" Leo yelled in delight.

**Percy froze. Normally he liked dogs, but these glared at him with ruby eyes. Their fangs looked sharp as razors.**

"He has a pet dog." Nico informed everyone.

"Mrs. O'Leary isn't a dog, she's a hellhound." Clarisse scoffed.

Piper, Leo, and Jason gaped.

**'Easy, guys,' Reyna told the greyhounds.**

**They stopped growling, but kept eyeing Percy as though they were imagining him in a doggie bag.**

**'They won't attack,' Reyna said, 'unless you try to steal something, or unless I tell them to. That's Argentum and Aurum.'**

**'Silver and Gold,' Percy said. The Latin meanings popped into his head like Hazel had said they would. He almost asked which dog was which. Then he realized that that was a stupid question.**

Everyone snorted.

**Reyna set her dagger on the table. Percy had the vague feeling he'd seen her before. Her hair was black and glossy as volcanic rock, woven in a single braid down her back. She had the poise of a sword fighter – relaxed yet vigilant, as if ready to spring into action at any moment. The worry lines around her eyes made her look older than she probably was.**

"She's sixteen I think." Jason said. Piper frowned.

**'We have met,' he decided. 'I don't remember when. Please, if you can tell me anything –'**

"Oh! So he recognizes her a little but not us!" Thalia said appalled.

**'First things first,' Reyna said. 'I want to hear your story. What do you remember? How did you get here? And don't lie. My dogs don't like liars.'**

**Argentum and Aurum snarled to emphasize the point.**

"That's what they are there for." Jason muttered.

**Percy told his story – how he'd woken up at the ruined mansion in the woods of Sonoma. He described his time with Lupa and her pack, learning their language of gestures and expressions, learning to survive and fight.**

"Wow that must have been tough." Piper raised her eyebrows and Jason nodded.

**Lupa had taught him about demigods, monsters and gods. She'd explained that she was one of the guardian spirits of Ancient Rome. Demigods like Percy were still responsible for carrying on Roman traditions in modern times – fighting monsters, serving the gods, protecting mortals and upholding the memory of the empire. **

"Someone replaced Annabeth." Thalia teased.

**She'd spent weeks training him, until he was as strong and tough and vicious as a wolf. When she was satisfied with his skills, she'd sent him south, telling him that, if he survived the journey, he might find a new home and regain his memory.**

**None of it seemed to surprise Reyna. In fact, she seemed to find it pretty ordinary – except for one thing.**

"Ordinary? Percy's not ordinary he probably kept on of the wolves as a pet." Nico scoffed.

**'No memory at all?' she asked. 'You still remember nothing?'**

"Yeah." Annabeth said sadly.

**'Fuzzy bits and pieces.' Percy glanced at the greyhounds. He didn't want to mention Annabeth. It seemed too private, and he was still confused about where to find her. He was sure they'd met at a camp – but this one didn't feel like the right place.**

"he should have remembered me too." Grover grumbled. A tear spilled from Annabeth's eyes she rubbed it away and everyone pretended to not have seen it.

**Also, he was reluctant to share his one clear memory: Annabeth's face, her blonde hair and grey eyes, the way she laughed, threw her arms around him and gave him a kiss whenever he did something stupid.**

"You mean once an hour?" Thalia said and Annabeth smiled sadly.

**She must have kissed me a lot, Percy thought.**

"He agrees." Thalia nodded looking towards Annabeth for a reaction she just stared at her trembeling hands.

**He feared that if he spoke about that memory to anyone it would evaporate like a dream. He couldn't risk that.**

Annabeth stood up abruptly and walked away instead of Thalia, Piper followed her. Two minutes later they came back and sat down Jason looked at Piper but she shook her head. No one said anything for a second before Thalia started to read again,

**Reyna spun her dagger. 'Most of what you're describing is normal for demigods. At a certain age, one way or another, we find our way to the Wolf House. We're tested and trained. If Lupa thinks we're worthy, she sends us south to join the legion. But I've never heard of someone losing his memory. How did you find Camp Jupiter?'**

"Hera." Annabeth muttered.

**Percy told her about the last three days – the gorgons who wouldn't die, the old lady who turned out to be a goddess and finally meeting Hazel and Frank at the tunnel in the hill.**

**Hazel took the story from there. She described Percy as brave and heroic,**

"Way to make his ego bigger." Thalia muttered

** which made him uncomfortable. All he'd done was carry a hippie bag lady.**

"His ego is huge!" Thalia exclaimed.

**Reyna studied him. 'You're old for a recruit. You're what, sixteen?'**

"YES!" Roared the camp.

**'I think so,' Percy said.**

"You know so." Jake said.

**'If you spent that many years on your own, without training or help, you should be dead. A son of Neptune? You'd have a powerful aura that would attract all kinds of monsters.'**

**'Yeah,' Percy said. 'I've been told that I smell.'**

Everyone laughed.

**Reyna almost cracked a smile, which gave Percy hope. Maybe she was human after all.**

"She is don't worry I've made her laugh…once…" Jason trailed off.

**'You must've been somewhere before the Wolf House,' she said.**

"CAMP HALF-BLOOD!" The camp roared once more.

**Percy shrugged. Juno had said something about him slumbering, and he did have a vague feeling that he'd been asleep – maybe for a long time. But that didn't make sense.**

"It does!"

**Reyna sighed. 'Well, the dogs haven't eaten you, so I suppose you're telling the truth.'**

"He is! Percy can't lie really well." Annabeth said.

"Yeah he's just a little better than Grover." Nico nodded.

**'Great,' Percy said. 'Next time, can I take a polygraph?'**

Everyone laughed.

**Reyna stood. She paced in front of the banners. Her metal dogs watched her go back and forth.**

"Creepers." Leo whispered.

**'Even if I accept that you're not an enemy,' she said, 'you're not a typical recruit. The Queen of Olympus simply doesn't appear at camp, announcing a new demigod. The last time a major god visited us in person like that …' She shook her head. 'I've only heard legends about such things. And a son of Neptune … that's not a good omen. Especially now.'**

"Percy's gonna save their butts." Rachel said and everyone murmured in agreement.

**'What's wrong with Neptune?' Percy asked. 'And what do you mean, "especially now"?'**

"Curiosity killed the caaat." Sang Connor.

**Hazel shot him a warning look.**

"Curiosity—"

"We got it!" Rachel exclaimed.

**Reyna kept pacing. 'You've fought Medusa's sisters, who haven't been seen in thousands of years. You've agitated our Lares, who are calling you a graecus. And you wear strange symbols – that shirt, the beads on your necklace. What do they mean?'**

"The shirt represents US and the necklace represent each year with US!" Travis stated proudly.

"Good job." Katie said.

**Percy looked down at his tattered orange T-shirt. It might have had words on it at one point, but they were too faded to read. **

"CRAP!" Grover said standing up.

"What?" Annabeth asked.

"Gleeson told me the ink lasted for three years!" Grover said, "He lied!"

"That's because you'd throw a tantrum." Will Solace muttered.

**He should have thrown the shirt away weeks ago. It was worn to shreds, but he couldn't bear to get rid of it. He just kept washing it in streams and water fountains as best he could and putting it back on.**

"AAAAAW!"

**As for the necklace, the four clay beads were each decorated with a different symbol. One showed a trident. Another displayed a miniature Golden Fleece. The third was etched with the design of a maze, and the last had an image of a building – maybe the Empire State Building? – with names Percy didn't recognize engraved around it. **

Everyone looked down sadly.

**The beads felt important, like pictures from a family album, but he couldn't remember what they meant.**

"Stupid Hera!" Annabeth yelled.

**'I don't know,' he said.**

**'And your sword?' Reyna asked.**

**Percy checked his pocket. The pen had reappeared as it always did. He pulled it out, but then realized he'd never shown Reyna the sword. Hazel and Frank hadn't seen it either. How had Reyna known about it?**

"she's a stalker why of course!" Leo said,

**Too late to pretend it didn't exist … He uncapped the pen. Riptide sprang to full form. Hazel gasped. The greyhounds barked apprehensively.**

**'What is that?' Hazel asked. 'I've never seen a sword like that.'**

**'I have,' Reyna said darkly. 'It's very old – a Greek design. We used to have a few in the armoury before …' She stopped herself. 'The metal is called Celestial bronze. It's deadly to monsters, like Imperial gold, but even rarer.'**

"No Imperial gold is rarer." Nyssa said frowning.

**'Imperial gold?' Percy asked.**

**Reyna unsheathed her dagger. Sure enough, the blade was gold.**

"Like money." A child from Hermes grinned.

** 'The metal was consecrated in ancient times, at the Pantheon in Rome. Its existence was a closely guarded secret of the emperors – a way for their champions to slay monsters that threatened the empire. We used to have more weapons like this, but now … well, we scrape by. I use this dagger. Hazel has a spatha, a cavalry sword. Most legionnaires use a shorter sword called a gladius. But that weapon of yours is not Roman at all. It's another sign you're not a typical demigod. And your arm …'**

"It's so strong and handsome." Drew said dreamily.

Annabeth growled.

**'What about it?' Percy asked.**

**Reyna held up her own forearm. Percy hadn't noticed before, but she had a tattoo on the inside: the letters SPQR, a crossed sword and torch, and, under that, four parallel lines like score marks.**

**Percy glanced at Hazel.**

**'We all have them,' she confirmed, holding up her arm. 'All full members of the legion do.'**

**Hazel's tattoo also had the letters SPQR, but she only had one score mark, and her emblem was different: a black glyph like a cross with curved arms and a head**

"Sweet they have tattoos!" Travis said.

"Tattoos make people tough like me!" Connor said, many people snorted at that.

**Percy looked at his own arms. A few scrapes, some mud and a fleck of Crispy Cheese 'n' Wiener, but no tattoos.**

"I like cheese." Leo murmured.

**'So you've never been a member of the legion,' Reyna said. 'These marks can't be removed. I thought perhaps …' She shook her head, as if dismissing an idea.**

**Hazel leaned forward. 'If he's survived as a loner all this time, maybe he's seen Jason.' **

"They miss me!" Jason said.

**She turned to Percy. 'Have you ever met a demigod like us before? A guy in a purple shirt, with marks on his arm –'**

**'Hazel.' Reyna's voice tightened. 'Percy's got enough to worry about.'**

"Ha! I knew Reyna missed me!" Jason exclaimed once more.

**Percy touched the point of his sword, and Riptide shrank back into a pen. 'I haven't seen anyone like you guys before. Who's Jason?'**

"Only the bestest—"Jason said.

"Most annoying—"Piper continued grinning.

"Stupidest—"Leo went on.

"Hey I'm smart!" Jason said crossing his arms and pouting.

**Reyna gave Hazel an irritated look. 'He is … he was my colleague.' She waved her hand at the second empty chair. 'The legion normally has two elected praetors. Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, was our other praetor until he disappeared last October.'**

"Huh? That's two months before Percy disappeared. Shouldn't they have gone missing around the same time?" Annabeth said.

**Percy tried to calculate. **

"Note the word _tried_." Nico said.

**He hadn't paid much attention to the calendar out in the wilderness, but Juno had mentioned that it was now June. 'You mean he's been gone eight months, and you haven't replaced him?'**

"Like Percy." Thalia muttered.

**'He might not be dead,' Hazel said. 'We haven't given up.'**

"They so love me." Jason smirked.

**Reyna grimaced. Percy got the feeling this guy Jason might've been more to her than just a colleague.**

Piper glared at Jason who's eyes widened he raised his hands and shook his head vigorously, "NO! No! Just friends trust me!" Jason saw that Piper was still glaring took her hand and squeezed, her gaze softened but she didn't stop frowning.

**'Elections only happen in two ways,' Reyna said. 'Either the legion raises someone on a shield after a major success on the battlefield – and we haven't had any major battles – or we hold a ballot on the evening of June twenty-fourth, at the Feast of Fortuna. That's in five days.'**

"Hey…so this is in three days?" Grover frowned.

"We're reading a book from the future!" Travis gasped.

"You just got that?" Juniper spoke up for the first time.

**Percy frowned. 'You have a feast for tuna?'**

"Oh Percy everything has to be about you and your fish." Thalia said shaking her head.

**'Fortuna,' Hazel corrected. 'She's the goddess of luck. Whatever happens on her feast day can affect the entire rest of the year. She can grant the camp good luck … or really bad luck.'**

"Like Nemesis." Malcolm said.

**Reyna and Hazel both glanced at the empty display stand, as if thinking about what was missing.**

**A chill went down Percy's back. 'The Feast of Fortune … The gorgons mentioned that. So did Juno. They said the camp was going to be attacked on that day, something about a big bad goddess named Gaia, and an army, and Death being unleashed. You're telling me that day is this week?'**

"All of Percy's quests or missions are less than five days. He shouldn't be surprised." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

**Reyna's fingers tightened around the hilt of her dagger. 'You will say nothing about that outside this room,' she ordered. 'I will not have you spreading more panic in the camp.'**

"She's a feisty little thing." Leo grinned.

"You say that to her face and your arm is cut off." Jason informed him.

**'So it's true,' Percy said. 'Do you know what's going to happen? Can we stop it?'**

"Always wanting to help." Thalia muttered.

**Percy had just met these people. **

"No freaking duh!" Clarisse snorted.

**He wasn't sure he even liked Reyna. **

**"**BURRRN**!" **The Stolls and Nico yelled.

"That wasn't even an insult!" Rachel said.

**But he wanted to help. They were demigods, the same as him. **

"He's so loyal it's annoying." Thalia said.

"Yeah but if he wasn't loyal most of us would be dead." Grover countered.

**They had the same enemies. Besides, Percy remembered what Juno had told him: it wasn't just this camp at risk. His old life, the gods and the entire world might be destroyed. Whatever was coming down, it was huge.**

Everyone went serious for a moment all in silence. Then Travis started choking on his spit and Connor had to slam his fist onto his back to save him.

"What was that for? Are you trying to break my spine?" Travis yelled.

"I SAVED YOUR LIFE!" Connor screamed back.

"That's it!" Clarisse stood up and stormed to the Stolls who both looked at each other in terror and ran away screaming with Clarisse after them swearing loudly.

**'We've talked enough for now,' Reyna said. 'Hazel, take him to Temple Hill. Find Octavian. On the way you can answer Percy's questions. Tell him about the legion.'**

**'Yes, Reyna.'**

**Percy still had so many questions that his brain felt like it would melt. **

"That's because his brain isn't used to thinking so hard." Nico laughed and Thalia snorted.

**But Reyna made it clear the audience was over. She sheathed her dagger. The metal dogs stood and growled, inching towards Percy.**

**'Good luck with the augury, Percy Jackson,' she said. 'If Octavian lets you live, perhaps we can compare notes … about your past.'**

"IF?"

"SHE SO KNOWS HIM!"

"THE MYSTERY IS SO INTENSE"

"ENOUGH!" Chiron yelled above all the talking, "to your cabins or I'll make sure I let the harpies out early tonight."

Everyone scrambled to their cabins ready to wake up and start reading once more…which was a first.

* * *

**Okay I know that chapter was kinda suckish. **

**Sorry. There are some parts I like but then we get to the end and it's...suckish.**

**Forgive me and my bad humor. I TRY it's just that describing the Roman Camp isn't something you can really make fun off so...that's why it was suckish...I use that word to much**

**THANK YOU for all the reviews (3! OMG!) and people who are following this...keep doing that;D**

**Review and um...rate is it? No just Favorite...and follow...and tell me how awesome this is:)**

**Also so you may have noticed the image of this story shows the cover of Son of Neptune well it seemed necessary so just know I DON'T own that cover art at all nope someone else drew it I'm not an artist I draw stick figures so...yeah my art is well suckish:\**

**P.S. I don't know when I'll post maybe Sunday or Saturday.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HOO or any of the characters...nothing...all of it is Rick Riordans'.**

**Enjoy:)**

* * *

Once everyone was awake they quickly finished breakfast and gathered around the campfire once more. Most were eager to read about what Percy was doing, others were just glad they didn't have to do any work that day. Annabeth sat down next to a grumpy Leo and sleepy Grover and began to read.

**ON THE WAY OUT OF CAMP, Hazel bought him an espresso drink and a cherry muffin from Bombilo the two-headed coffee merchant.**

"I need an espresso right now." Thalia muttered.

"Bombilo is such a funny word." Leo snickered.

**Percy inhaled the muffin. **

"How do inhale food?" Jason asked.

"Like this!" Travis said he brought out a muffin and 'inhaled' it, he did it too quickly which made him start to choke. No one bothered to help him.

**The coffee was great. Now, Percy thought, if he could just get a shower, a change of clothes and some sleep, he'd be golden. Maybe even Imperial golden.**

Everyone groaned, "Oh Kelp head." Thalia shook her head.

**He watched a bunch of kids in swimsuits and towels head into a building that had steam coming out of a row of chimneys. Laughter and watery sounds echoed from inside, like it was an indoor pool – Percy's kind of place.**

"Duh."

**'Bath house,' Hazel said. 'We'll get you in there before dinner, hopefully. You haven't lived until you've had a Roman bath.'**

Jason nodded.

**Percy sighed with anticipation.**

**As they approached the front gate, the barracks got bigger and nicer. Even the ghosts looked better – with fancier armour and shinier auras. Percy tried to decipher the banners and symbols hanging in front of the buildings.**

**'You guys are divided into different cabins?' he asked.**

"No that's us!" Connor said.

"Yeah Romans! Quit trying to be like us!" Travis exclaimed once he stopped choking.

"We can't take them to Camp Jupiter." Annabeth shook her head.

"Why not? We want to see Percy!" They complained.

"Because of your stupid comments that'll make Romans have the wrong impressions of us." Piper said bluntly.

**'Sort of.' Hazel ducked as a kid riding a giant eagle swooped overhead. 'We have five cohorts of about forty kids each. Each cohort is divided into barracks of ten – like roommates, kind of.'**

**Percy had never been great at maths, but he tried to multiply.**

"Note the word tried." Thalia pointed out. Nico snickered, "Can you imagine the look on his face when he tries to do math?"

"You guys are horrible cousins." Piper said.

"Hey! He teases us just as much!" Thalia said.

**'You're telling me there's two hundred kids at camp?'**

Thalia and Nico applauded and whistled, "Give him an award!"

**'Roughly.'**

**'And all of them are children of the gods? The gods have been busy.'**

Everyone snorted.

**Hazel laughed. 'Not all of them are children of major gods. There are hundreds of minor Roman gods. Plus, a lot of the campers are legacies – second or third generation. Maybe their parents were demigods. Or their grandparents.'**

'Children of demigods?" Annabeth asked.

**Percy blinked. 'Children of demigods?'**

"Oh my gods! She's been hanging out with him so much that she's starting to think like him!" Thalia gasped.

"DECANTAMINATE HER!" Nico shouted and pointed at her.

**'Why? Does that surprise you?'**

"Yeah." Annabeth said.

**Percy wasn't sure. The last few weeks he'd been so worried about surviving day to day. The idea of living long enough to be an adult and have kids of his own – that seemed like an impossible dream.**

Everyone looked down sadly. How long were they going to live to?

**'These Legos –'**

Everyone laughed. "He sure can bring up the mood." Leo laughed.

**'Legacies,' Hazel corrected.**

"She's replacing Annabeth!" Someone called out.

**'They have powers like a demigod?'**

**'Sometimes. Sometimes not. But they can be trained. All the best Roman generals and emperors – you know, they all claimed to be descended from gods. Most of the time, they were telling the truth. The camp augur we're going to meet, Octavian, he's a legacy, descendant of Apollo. He's got the gift of prophecy, supposedly.'**

"Hey! That's my job!" Rachel exclaimed.

**'Supposedly?'**

"Good because they're can be only one oracle." Rachel said smugly.

**Hazel made a sour face. 'You'll see.'**

**That didn't make Percy feel so great, if this dude Octavian had Percy's fate in his hands.**

"He better not." Jason growled.

**'So the divisions,' he asked, 'the cohorts, whatever – you're divided according to who your godly parent is?'**

**Hazel stared at him. 'What a horrible idea! No, the officers decide where to assign recruits. If we were divided according to god, the cohorts would be all uneven. I'd be alone.'**

"It's not that great for us." Nico said sadly.

"All alone." Jason agreed.

**Percy felt a twinge of sadness, like he'd been in that situation.**

"YOU HAVE!" Roared the camp.

** 'Why? What's your ancestry?'**

**Before she could answer, someone behind them yelled, 'Wait!'**

**A ghost ran towards them – an old man with a medicine-ball belly and a toga so long he kept tripping on it. He caught up to them and gasped for air, his purple aura flickering around him.**

"Why would a ghost be gasping for breath?" Katie questioned.

**'This is him?' the ghost panted. 'A new recruit for the Fifth, perhaps?'**

**'Vitellius,' Hazel said, 'we're sort of in a hurry.'**

"Oh! I remember him!" Jason said brightly, "He told me that he hated my hair."

"Why are you so happy about that?" Leo asked,

"Because I remember something."

**The ghost scowled at Percy and walked around him, inspecting him like a used car. 'I don't know,' he grumbled. 'We need only the best for the cohort. Does he have all his teeth? Can he fight? Does he clean stables?'**

"Yes to all!" Annabeth said laughing with Grover.

"What?" Piper asked.

"One time he had too—" Grover said laughing.

"Clean up the horses' stalls." Annabeth continued.

"Oh yeah!" Nico laughed. Everyone looked at them weirdly.

"Quest." They all said in union.

"How many quests has Percy been on exactly?" Jason asked.

"Four." Annabeth said.

Everyone looked shocked and impressed.

**'Yes, yes and no,' Percy said. 'Who are you?'**

"He lied!" Nico gasped.

"He doesn't remember." Annabeth said flatly.

**'Percy, this is Vitellius.' Hazel's expression said: Just humour him. 'He's one of our Lares; takes an interest in new recruits.'**

"Gods I just remembered how annoying he is." Jason shook his head.

**On a nearby porch, other ghosts snickered as Vitellius paced back and forth, tripping over his toga and hiking up his sword belt.**

Some people snickered.

**'Yes,' Vitellius said, 'back in Caesar's day – that's Julius Caesar, mind you – the Fifth Cohort was something! Twelfth Legion Fulminata, pride of Rome! But these days? Disgraceful what we've come to. Look at Hazel here, using a spatha. Ridiculous weapon for a Roman legionnaire – that's for cavalry! And you, boy – you smell like a Greek sewer. Haven't you had a bath?'**

"What's so bad about Greek sewers?" Travis said angrily.

"Sewers aren't that bad." Piper pointed out. Everyone stared at her and all of her siblings except Mitchell squealed who said, "YOU went into a sewer?"

"That's horrible." Lacy shrieked.

"No wonder you stink so much." Drew said smirking.

A few people growled and Jason almost stood up, Piper grabbed his hand and he sat down looking disgruntled.

** 'I've been a little busy fighting gorgons,' Percy said.**

"BURNNN!" Nico and Leo shouted with the Stolls.

**'Vitellius,' Hazel interrupted, 'we've got to get Percy's augury before he can join. Why don't you check on Frank? He's in the armory doing inventory. You know how much he values your help.'**

"Hehe liar." Nico sniggered.

**The ghost's furry purple eyebrows shot up. 'Mars Almighty! They let the probatio check the armour? We'll be ruined!'**

"Harsh." Thalia said.

**He stumbled off down the street, stopping every few feet to pick up his sword or rearrange his toga.**

**'O-h-h-kay,' Percy said.**

"I know right?" Jason said laughing.

"You're talking to a book brother dear," Thalia said rolling her eyes.

**'Sorry,' Hazel said. 'He's eccentric, but he's one of the oldest Lares. Been around since the legion was founded.'**

**'He called the legion … Fulminata?' Percy said.**

"Armed with lighting." Jason spoke up.

**'"Armed with Lightning",' Hazel translated. **

"Wow! Jason was right!" Connor exclaimed.

"That's a first." Leo snickered. Jason slapped him.

"What about that time—"Piper started.

"Shut up Beauty Queen." Leo grumbled.

"Don't call me that." Piper wacked him.

"Ow! I'm not a punching bag you know." Leo exclaimed.

"Yes you are." Thalia said and she slapped him.

"OW!"

**'That's our motto. The Twelfth Legion was around for the entire Roman Empire. When Rome fell, a lot of legions just disappeared. We went underground, acting on secret orders from Jupiter himself: stay alive, recruit demigods and their children, keep Rome going. We've been doing that ever since, moving around to wherever Roman influence was strongest. The last few centuries, we've been in America.'**

"She's completely replacing you Annabeth." Grover said.

**As bizarre as that sounded, Percy had no trouble believing it. In fact, it sounded familiar, like something he'd always known.**

"Yeah, because I told you." Annabeth grumbled.

"Oh don't be grumpy he's still your boyfriend." Thalia said rolling her eyes.

**'And you're in the Fifth Cohort,' he guessed, 'which maybe isn't the most popular?'**

**Hazel scowled. 'Yeah. I joined up last September.'**

"I showed her around the camp." Jason said smiling.

** 'So … just a few weeks before that guy Jason disappeared.'**

"That's me!" Jason said stupidly before blushing when he saw everyone rolling their eyes.

**Percy knew he'd hit a sore spot. Hazel looked down. She was silent long enough to count every paving stone.**

Jason looked smug. He was happy everyone missed him, but sad he was missing in the first place.

**'Come on,' she said at last. 'I'll show you my favorite view.'**

"Annabeth's getting jealous." Travis sang.

"OW!" Piper's boot was just thrown at his head.

**They stopped outside the main gates. The fort was situated on the highest point in the valley, so they could see pretty much everything.**

**The road led down to the river and divided. One path led south across a bridge, up to the hill with all the temples. The other road led north into the city, a miniature version of Ancient Rome. Unlike the military camp, the city looked chaotic and colorful, with buildings crowded together at haphazard angles. Even from this far away, Percy could see people gathered in the plaza, shoppers milling around an open-air market, parents with kids playing in the parks.**

Everyone smiled, wondering if their lives could be like that.

**'You've got families here?' he asked.**

**'In the city, absolutely,' Hazel said. 'When you're accepted into the legion, you do ten years of service. After that, you can muster out whenever you want. Most demigods go into the mortal world. But for some – well, it's pretty dangerous out there. This valley is a sanctuary. You can go to college in the city, get married, have kids, retire when you get old. It's the only safe place on earth for people like us. So, yeah, a lot of veterans make their homes there, under the protection of the legion.'**

**Adult demigods. Demigods who could live without fear, get married, raise a family. Percy couldn't quite wrap his mind around that. It seemed too good to be true. **

**"**Yeah you Romans got it good." Grover said nodding.

**'But if this valley is attacked?'**

**Hazel pursed her lips. 'We have defenses. The borders are magical. But our strength isn't what it used to be. Lately, the monster attacks have been increasing. What you said about the gorgons not dying … we've noticed that too, with other monsters.'**

Everyone frowned.

**'Do you know what's causing it?'**

"I think Percy thinks Hazel is like Annabeth, she doesn't know everything!" Nico said.

**Hazel looked away. Percy could tell that she was holding something back – something she wasn't supposed to say.**

"Like Annabeth." Grover muttered.

"It's just to not cause panic!" Annabeth protested.

**'It's – it's complicated,' she said. 'My brother says Death isn't –'**

Nico tensed and Annabeth frowned, "Another child from Pluto? That's odd."

**She was interrupted by an elephant.**

"Random." Rachel muttered.

**Someone behind them shouted, 'Make way!'**

**Hazel dragged Percy out of the road as a demigod rode past on a full-grown pachyderm covered in black Kevlar armour. The word ELEPHANT was printed on the side of his armour, which seemed a little obvious to Percy.**

Everyone laughed and Will pointed out, "It doesn't really help we're dyslexia."

**The elephant thundered down the road and turned north, heading towards a big open field where some fortifications were under construction.**

**Percy spat dust out of his mouth. 'What the – ?'**

**'Elephant,' Hazel explained.**

"No duh." Thalia muttered.

**'Yeah, I read the sign. Why do you have an elephant in a bulletproof vest?'**

"In case someone shoots him duh!" Leo snorted.

**'War games tonight,' Hazel said. 'That's Hannibal. If we didn't include him, he'd get upset.'**

"I've always wanted to meet an elephant." Chris sighed randomly.

"That's not weird at all." Piper said shooting him a look.

**'We can't have that.'**

Everyone laughed.

**Hazel laughed.**

"Copycat!" Travis shouted.

"You do know this is in the future!" Annabeth said slowly.

** It was hard to believe she'd looked so moody a moment ago. Percy wondered what she'd been about to say. She had a brother. Yet she had claimed she'd be alone if the camp sorted her by her godly parent.**

Nico shifted and Thalia asked what was wrong he shook his head quickly and planned for an escape.

**Percy couldn't figure her out. She seemed nice and easygoing, mature for somebody who couldn't have been more than thirteen. But she also seemed to be hiding a deep sadness, like she felt guilty about something.**

"She's probably has a secret identity like Hannah Montana." Travis said.

"How would that make her guilty?" Chris asked.

"Because she was lying to the world, like Hannah Montana." Connor explained.

"Ugh please don't talk about Hannah Montana she's a disgrace to all the children to Apollo." Will shuddered with his cabin mates **(A/N: No offense to you Hannah Montana fans)**

**Hazel pointed south across the river. Dark clouds were gathering over Temple Hill. Red flashes of lightning washed the monuments in blood-colored light.**

"Oooh scary." Travis said waving his hands around.

**'Octavian is busy,' Hazel said. 'We'd better get over there.'**

**On the way, they passed some goat-legged guys hanging out on the side of the road.**

"Goat-legged guys?" Grover yelled in horror. "First their half- donkeys now their goat-legged guys?"

**'Hazel!' one of them cried.**

**He trotted over with a big grin on his face. He wore a faded Hawaiian shirt and nothing for pants except thick brown goat fur. His massive Afro jiggled. His eyes were hidden behind little round rainbow-tinted glasses. He held a cardboard sign that read: WILL WORK SING TALK GO AWAY FOR DENARII.**

"WHAT?" Grover yelled.

"Calm down they're used to it." Jason tried to reassure him. Apparently that was the wrong thing to say.

"Stupid…no appreciation...will work for denarii my butt." Grover grumbled.

**'Hi, Don,' Hazel said. 'Sorry, we don't have time –'**

**'Oh, that's cool! That's cool!' Don trotted along with them. 'Hey, this guy's new!' He grinned at Percy. 'Do you have three denarii for the bus? Because I left my wallet at home, and I've got to get to work, and –'**

**'Don,' Hazel chided. 'Fauns don't have wallets. Or jobs. Or homes. And we don't have buses.'**

"WHAT?" Grover yelled again everyone rolled their eyes this time.

**'Right,' he said cheerfully, 'but do you have denarii?'**

**'Your name is Don the Faun?' Percy asked.**

Some campers snickered.

**'Yeah. So?'**

**'Nothing.' Percy tried to keep a straight face. 'Why don't fauns have jobs? Shouldn't they work for the camp?'**

"EXACTLY!"

**Don bleated. 'Fauns! Work for the camp! Hilarious!'**

"WHAT?"

**'Fauns are, um, free spirits,' Hazel explained. 'They hang out here because, well, it's a safe place to hang out and beg. We tolerate them, but –'**

"TOLERATE?"

"Okay Grover we get it," Thalia said exasperated, "It's not fair, stop yelling in our ears or we'll go deaf."

**'Oh, Hazel is awesome,' Don said. 'She's so nice! All the other campers are, like, "Go away, Don." But she's, like, "Please go away, Don." I love her!'**

Everyone laughed.

**The faun seemed harmless, but Percy still found him unsettling. He couldn't shake the feeling that fauns should be more than just homeless guys begging for denarii.**

"YOU TELL 'IM PERCY!" Grover shouted.

**Don looked at the ground in front of them and gasped. 'Score!'**

**He reached for something, but Hazel screamed, 'Don, no!'**

Everyone leaned in in anticipation.

**She pushed him out of the way and snatched up a small shiny object. Percy caught a glimpse of it before Hazel slipped it into her pocket. He could have sworn it was a diamond.**

"Seriously? She screamed because of a diamond?" Travis groaned.

"You don't know anything!" Nico growled.

**'Come on, Hazel,' Don complained. 'I could've bought a year's worth of doughnuts with that!'**

"Doughnuts." The Stolls and Leo said dreamily.

**'Don, please,' Hazel said. 'Go away.'**

"She said please! Don didn't lie!" Someone mock gasped.

**She sounded shaken, like she'd just saved Don from a charging bulletproof elephant.**

"Hannibal doesn't charge at fauns, don't be ridiculous." Jason said in a 'psh' voice.

"You're talking to a book." Piper pointed out.

**The faun sighed. 'Aw, I can't stay mad at you. But I swear, it's like you're good luck. Every time you walk by –'**

**'Goodbye, Don,' Hazel said quickly. 'Let's go, Percy.'**

"Someone has a secret." Travis and Connor sang.

**She started jogging. Percy had to sprint to catch up.**

"Wow, Percy is out of shape." Thalia frowned.

"He had been sleeping for a couple of months." Annabeth said.

**'What was that about?' Percy asked. 'That diamond in the road –'**

**'Please,' she said. 'Don't ask.'**

"At least she's polite." Katie muttered.

**They walked in uneasy silence the rest of the way to Temple Hill. A crooked stone path led past a crazy assortment of tiny altars and massive domed vaults. Statues of gods seemed to follow Percy with their eyes.**

"I know the feeling." Piper shuddered. Jason squeezed her hand.

**Hazel pointed out the Temple of Bellona. 'Goddess of war,' she said. 'That's Reyna's mom.' Then they passed a massive red crypt decorated with human skulls on iron spikes.**

"Cool!" Mark from the Ares cabin said grinning.

**'Please tell me we're not going in there,' Percy said.**

"Wimp." Clarisse muttered.

**Hazel shook her head. 'That's the Temple of Mars Ultor.'**

"Mars is Ares right?" Jake said

"Yes." Clarisse answered beating Annabeth to the punch.

**'Mars … Ares, the war god?'**

"No Mars the god of cows." Thalia said sarcastically.

"Is there a god for cows?" Connor asked.

**'That's his Greek name,' Hazel said. 'But, yeah, same guy. Ultor means "the Avenger". He's the second-most important god of Rome.'**

The Ares cabin cheered.

**Percy wasn't thrilled to hear that. For some reason, just looking at the ugly red building made him feel angry.**

Annabeth and Grover grinned. "What?" Thalia asked warily.

"He was so rude to Ares on our first quest." Annabeth explained.

"He's rude to all the Gods." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"No you don't—" Grover was cut off by Annabeth.

**He pointed towards the summit. Clouds swirled over the largest temple, a round pavilion with a ring of white columns supporting a domed roof. 'I'm guessing that's Zeus – uh, I mean, Jupiter's? That's where we're heading?'**

Jason smirked.

**'Yeah.' Hazel sounded edgy. 'Octavian reads auguries there – the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.'**

**Percy had to think about it, but the Latin words clicked into English. 'Jupiter … the best and the greatest?'**

"Wow." Thalia said impressed,

"He does listen when I'm teaching him!" Annabeth said happily.

**'Right.'**

**'What's Neptune's title?' Percy asked. 'The coolest and most awesome?'**

Everyone laughed and Thalia said, "Ego."

**'Um, not quite.' Hazel gestured to a small blue building the size of a toolshed. A cobweb-covered trident was nailed above the door.**

**Percy peeked inside. On a small altar sat a bowl with three dried-up, mouldy apples.**

**His heart sank. 'Popular place.'**

"No it isn't Percy!" Travis said angrily.

"That was sarcasm." Nico said rolling his eyes.

"Oh well Annabeth isn't a good voicer!" Travis said.

"Voicer?" Annabeth asked with raised eyebrows.

"You know you're reading so obviously you have to do the voices of the characters—"

"They're not characters they're real people."

"Whatever."

**'I'm sorry, Percy,' Hazel said. 'It's just … Romans were always scared of the sea. They only used ships if they had to. Even in modern times, having a child of Neptune around has always been a bad omen. The last time one joined the legion … well, it was 1906, when Camp Jupiter was located across the bay in San Francisco. There was this huge earthquake –'**

"Yeah, a son of Neptune farted!" Connor laughed and few others laughed as well. All of a sudden Connor was soaking wet,

"HEY!"

**'You're telling me a child of Neptune caused that?'**

**'So they say.' Hazel looked apologetic. 'Anyway … Romans fear Neptune, but they don't love him much.'**

"He's not that bad!" Annabeth protested.

"You're just saying that because you love his son." Thalia teased.

**Percy stared at the cobwebs on the trident.**

**Great, he thought. Even if he joined the camp, he would never be loved.**

"WE LOVE YOU!" The Aphrodite cabin and Grover yelled.

"SO DOES ANNIE BELLS!" Thalia said.

** His best hope was to be scary to his new camp mates. Maybe if he did really well they'd give him some mouldy apples.**

"That's the spirit!" Connor said.

**Still … standing at Neptune's altar, he felt something stirring inside him, like waves rippling through his veins.**

**He reached in his backpack and dug out the last bit of food from his trip – a stale bagel. It wasn't much, but he set it on the altar.**

"AW! So sweet," Lacy said.

**'Hey … uh, Dad.' He felt pretty stupid talking to a bowl of fruit. 'If you can hear me, help me out, okay? Give me my memory back. Tell me – tell me what to do.'**

Everyone looked down sadly.

**His voice cracked. He hadn't meant to get emotional, but he was exhausted and scared, and he'd been lost for so long that he would've given anything for some guidance. **

Everyone stayed silent and Annabeth blinked her furious tears away.

**He wanted to know something about his life for sure, without grabbing for missing memories.**

Jason closed his eyes and sighed. He knew exactly how Percy felt.

**Hazel put her hand on his shoulder. 'It'll be okay. You're here now. You're one of us.'**

"No he's one of us." Annabeth said sadly. No one knew what to say because it was true.

**He felt awkward, depending on an eighth-grade girl he barely knew for comfort, but he was glad she was there.**

"At least he has a friend." Thalia said trying to boost the sad tension in the air.

**Above them, thunder rumbled. Red lightning lit up the hill.**

"EEP!" Connor ducked behind Katie who swatted him away.

**'Octavian's almost done,' Hazel said. 'Let's go.'**

**Compared to Neptune's toolshed, Jupiter's temple was definitely optimus and maximus.**

Jason and Thalia looked smug.

**The marble floor was etched with fancy mosaics and Latin inscriptions. Sixty feet above, the domed ceiling sparkled gold. The whole temple was open to the wind.**

**In the centre stood a marble altar, where a kid in a toga was doing some sort of ritual in front of a massive golden statue of the big dude himself: Jupiter the sky god, dressed in a silk XXXL purple toga, holding a lightning bolt.**

"Toga's are like dresses right?" Leo asked.

"Not rea—" Jason was cut off by Leo snorting with laughter. The image of Zeus in a dress was in his head.

**'It doesn't look like that,' Percy muttered.**

**'What?' Hazel asked.**

**'The master bolt,' Percy said.**

"How would he know?" Piper asked.

"On our first quest we went looking for the lightning bolt, Percy was the one to give it to Zeus." Annabeth explained.

"Wow." Jason looked impressed.

**'What are you talking about?'**

**'I –' Percy frowned. For a second, he'd thought he remembered something. Now it was gone. **

Thalia, Annabeth, and Nico looked ready to punch something.

**'Nothing, I guess.'**

**The kid at the altar raised his hands. More red lightning flashed in the sky, shaking the temple. Then he put his hands down, and the rumbling stopped. The clouds turned from grey to white and broke apart.**

**A pretty impressive trick, considering the kid didn't look like much. He was tall and skinny, with straw-coloured hair, oversized jeans, a baggy T-shirt and a drooping toga. He looked like a scarecrow wearing a bedsheet.**

Everyone laughed. The tension had left.

**'What's he doing?' Percy murmured.**

**The guy in the toga turned. He had a crooked smile and a slightly crazy look in his eyes, like he'd just been playing an intense video game. In one hand he held a knife. In the other hand was something like a dead animal. That didn't make him look any less crazy.**

"WHAT? HE KILLS ANIMALS!" Grover and Rachel shouted.

"Relax they're stuffed." Jason said.

"WHAT?"

**'Percy,' Hazel said, 'this is Octavian.'**

**'The graecus!' Octavian announced. 'How interesting.'**

**'Uh, hi,' Percy said. 'Are you killing small animals?'**

"He better not be." Grover growled.

**Octavian looked at the fuzzy thing in his hand and laughed. 'No, no. Once upon a time, yes. We used to read the will of the gods by examining animal guts – chickens, goats, that sort of thing. Nowadays, we use these.'**

"That's disgusting." Katie said looking ready to puke.

**He tossed the fuzzy thing to Percy. It was a disembowelled teddy bear. Then Percy noticed that there was a whole pile of mutilated stuffed animals at the foot of Jupiter's statue.**

"HE KILLED A TEDDY BEAR? THAT'S NOT RIGHT!" Clovis shouted.

**'Seriously?' Percy asked.**

**Octavian stepped off the dais. He was probably about eighteen, but so skinny and sickly pale, he could've passed for younger. At first he looked harmless, but as he got closer Percy wasn't so sure. Octavian's eyes glittered with harsh curiosity, like he might gut Percy just as easily as a teddy bear if he thought he could learn something from it.**

**Octavian narrowed his eyes. 'You seem nervous.'**

**'You remind me of someone,' Percy said. 'I can't remember who.'**

"ME!" Rachel said giddly.

"Uh no…Luke." Thalia pointed out awkwardly

"Oh."

"How does he remember Luke but not us?" Jake said angrily.

**'Possibly my namesake, Octavian – Augustus Caesar. Everyone says I bear a remarkable resemblance.'**

**'**Yeah right!" Jason snorted.

**Percy didn't think that was it, but he couldn't pin down the memory. 'Why did you call me "the Greek"?'**

"Because you're Greek, honestly Perce you're really dumb sometimes." Travis said rolling his eyes, Katie had the pleasure of slapping him.

**'I saw it in the auguries.' Octavian waved his knife at the pile of stuffing on the altar. 'The message said: The Greek has arrived. Or possibly: The goose has cried. I'm thinking the first interpretation is correct. You seek to join the legion?'**

"Obviously." Thalia said.

**Hazel spoke for him. She told Octavian everything that had happened since they met at the tunnel – the gorgons, the fight at the river, the appearance of Juno, their conversation with Reyna.**

**When she mentioned Juno, Octavian looked surprised.**

**'Juno,' he mused. 'We call her Juno Moneta. Juno the Warner. She appears in times of crisis, to counsel Rome about great threats.'**

**He glanced at Percy, as if to say: like mysterious Greeks, for instance.**

"He is not a threat!" Annabeth said.

**'I hear the Feast of Fortuna is this week,' Percy said. 'The gorgons warned there'd be an invasion on that day. Did you see that in your stuffing?'**

**'Sadly, no.' Octavian sighed. 'The will of the gods is hard to discern. And these days, my vision is even darker.'**

"I would have seen it." Rachel mumbled.

**'Don't you have … I don't know,' Percy said, 'an oracle or something?'**

"HA!" Rachel shouted smugly.

**'An oracle!' Octavian smiled. 'What a cute idea. No, I'm afraid we're fresh out of oracles. Now, if we'd gone questing for the Sibylline books, like I recommended –'**

"I'M AN ORCALE YOU BLIND IDIOT!" Rachel shouted.

"Talking to a book." Nico sang.

**'The Siba-what?' Percy asked.**

**'Books of prophecy,' Hazel said, 'which Octavian is obsessed with. Romans used to consult them when disasters happened. Most people believe they burned up when Rome fell.'**

**'Some people believe that,' Octavian corrected. 'Unfortunately our present leadership won't authorize a quest to look for them –'**

"Because it's stupid." Jason argued.

**'Because Reyna isn't stupid,' Hazel said.**

"See?" Jason said.

**'– so we have only a few remaining scraps from the books,' Octavian continued. 'A few mysterious predictions, like these.'**

**He nodded to the inscriptions on the marble floor. Percy stared at the lines of words, not really expecting to understand them. He almost choked.**

"On what?" Leo asked.

**'That one.' He pointed, translating as he read aloud: 'Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall –'**

"Hey! That's the second greatest prophecy!" Leo said looking surprised.

Face-palm.

**'Yes, yes.' Octavian finished it without looking: 'An oath to keep with a final breath, and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.'**

**'I – I know that one.' Percy thought thunder was shaking the temple again. Then he realized his whole body was trembling. 'That's important.'**

"Yes it is, thanks for pointing out the obvious." Thalia sighed.

"He's not here!" Nico snapped. Everyone's faces fell and he immediately regretted it.

**Octavian arched an eyebrow. 'Of course it's important. We call it the Prophecy of Seven, but it's several thousand years old. We don't know what it means. Every time someone tries to interpret it … Well, Hazel can tell you. Bad things happen.'**

"Several thousand years old?" Annabeth questioned frowning. Rachel frowned as well.

**Hazel glared at him. 'Just read the augury for Percy. Can he join the legion or not?'**

**Percy could almost see Octavian's mind working, calculating whether or not Percy would be useful. He held out his hand for Percy's backpack. 'That's a beautiful specimen. May I?'**

**Percy didn't understand what he meant, but Octavian snatched the Bargain Mart panda pillow that was sticking out of the top of his pack. It was just a silly stuffed toy, but Percy had carried it a long way. He was kind of fond of it. **

Everyone laughed and Clovis said loudly, "Pillows are awesome that's why!"

**Octavian turned towards the altar and raised his knife.**

"NO NOT THE PANDA!" The Stolls screamed.

**'Hey!' Percy protested.**

**Octavian slashed open the panda's belly and poured its stuffing over the altar. He tossed the panda carcass aside, muttered a few words over the fluff, and turned with a big smile on his face.**

"Freak." Piper and Clarisse muttered.

**'Good news!' he said. 'Percy may join the legion. We'll assign him a cohort at evening muster. Tell Reyna that I approve.'**

The camp cheered.

**Hazel's shoulders relaxed. 'Uh … great. Come on, Percy.'**

**'Oh, and, Hazel,' Octavian said. 'I'm happy to welcome Percy into the legion. But when the election for praetor comes up, I hope you'll remember –'**

**'Jason isn't dead,' Hazel snapped. 'You're the augur. You're supposed to be looking for him!'**

"I'm not dead!" Jason cheered, "What?" He asked when he got stares.

**'Oh, I am!' Octavian pointed at the pile of gutted stuffed animals. 'I consult the gods every day! Alas, after eight months, I've found nothing. Of course, I'm still looking. But if Jason doesn't return by the Feast of Fortuna we must act. We can't have a power vacuum any longer. I hope you'll support me for praetor. It would mean so much to me.'**

"WHAT?" Jason roared. It had taken him four years to get that position.

**Hazel clenched her fists. 'Me. Support. You?'**

"GO HAZEL!" Jason shouted.

**Octavian took off his toga,**

"Excuse me?" Thalia squeaked. And everyone tried not to shudder.

** setting it and his knife on the altar. Percy noticed seven lines on Octavian's arm – seven years of camp, Percy guessed. Octavian's mark was a harp, the symbol of Apollo.**

"I'm related to that idiot?" Will asked.

**'After all,' Octavian told Hazel, 'I might be able to help you. It would be a shame if those awful rumours about you kept circulating … or, gods forbid, if they turned out to be true.'**

"He's blackmailing her? She never told me that!" Nico growled.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing, nothing."

**Percy slipped his hand into his pocket and grabbed his pen. This guy was blackmailing Hazel. That was obvious. One sign from Hazel, and Percy was ready to bust out Riptide and see how Octavian liked being at the other end of a blade.**

Jason and Nico cheered.

**Hazel took a deep breath. Her knuckles were white. 'I'll think about it.'**

**'Excellent,' Octavian said. 'By the way, your brother is here.'**

Nico stiffened, _oh crap_.

**Hazel stiffened. 'My brother? Why?'**

**Octavian shrugged. 'Why does your brother do anything? He's waiting for you at your father's shrine. Just … ah, don't invite him to stay too long. He has a disturbing effect on the others. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to keep searching for our poor lost friend, Jason. Nice to meet you, Percy.'**

"Who's Hazel's brother?" Annabeth asked Jason who shrugged and answered,

"Don't remember."

Nico visibly relaxed.

**Hazel stormed out of the pavilion, and Percy followed. He was sure he'd never been so glad to leave a temple in his life.**

**As Hazel marched down the hill, she cursed in Latin. Percy didn't understand all of it, but he got son of a gorgon, power-hungry snake, and a few choice suggestions about where Octavian could stick his knife.**

Everyone laughed.

**'I hate that guy,' she muttered in English. 'If I had my way –'**

**'He won't really get elected praetor, will he?' Percy asked.**

"He better not be." Jason growled.

**'I wish I could be certain. Octavian has a lot of friends, most of them bought. The rest of the campers are afraid of him.'**

Him?" Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

**'Afraid of that skinny little guy?'**

**'Don't underestimate him. Reyna's not so bad by herself, but if Octavian shares her power …' Hazel shuddered. 'Let's go see my brother. He'll want to meet you.'**

"Crap!" Nico said and everyone stared. He ignored it and started inching off the edge of the bench and away from Thalia.

**Percy didn't argue. He wanted to meet this mysterious brother, maybe learn something about Hazel's background – who her dad was, what secret she was hiding. Percy couldn't believe she'd done anything to be guilty about. She seemed too nice. But Octavian had acted like he had some first-class dirt on her.**

**Hazel led Percy to a black crypt built into the side of the hill. Standing in front was a teenage boy in black jeans and an aviator jacket.**

Nico started to whistle while pulling at his collar_, I need to make an excuse and get out of here_, he thought.

**'Hey,' Hazel called. 'I've brought a friend.'**

**The boy turned. Percy had another one of those weird flashes: like this was somebody he should know. The kid was almost as pale as Octavian, but with dark eyes and messy black hair. He didn't look anything like Hazel. He wore a silver skull ring, a chain for a belt and a black T-shirt with skull designs. At his side hung a pure-black sword.**

Everyone stared at Nico who jumped up squeaking, "I have to go to the bathroom."

"Oh no you don't." Thalia said pulling him right back down. Nico shrunk under the stares and even glares.

**For a microsecond when he saw Percy, the boy seemed shocked – panicked even, like he'd been caught in a searchlight.**

Nico shrunk even more and Annabeth handed the book to Grover furiously making her way towards the scared looking boy. Thalia was gripping him too tightly and he couldn't escape. Grover continued to read nervously.

**'This is Percy Jackson,' Hazel said. 'He's a good guy. Percy, this is my brother, the son of Pluto.'**

**The boy regained his composure and held out his hand. 'Pleased to meet you,' he said. 'I'm Nico di Angelo.'**

"NICO!"

* * *

**Oops:) Was that a cliff hanger? My bad:)**

**Okay thanks you to all the comments I have to reply to some but I'll do that later.**

**So I was reading over my older chapters...yeah they (well to me) suck. So I'm going to point somethings out, **

**1) Jason is supposed to be silly yes he's Roman and he's not supposed to act like that well in this story he'll be like that, sorry if you don't like that please feel free to tell me if you don't and I'll tone down his Leoness a little bit:) (like that word? Leoness) **

**2) Piper and Jason are dating in case you didn't get that**

**3) Travis and Connor will make a lot of really stupid comments about Camp Jupiter without really meaning it**

**4)Jason will defend his camp and point out the obvious (go back to number 1) **

**5) I'm NOT going to add Hazel and Frank or Reyna or Percy like some others have done, I feel like this should just be a Camp half-Blood thing**

**6) And most of the description scenes will be horrible, cause I can't do humor that well when it comes to scenery**

**Okay now that we have that done...**

* * *

_**-KairacahraFlower Goddess**_

_**1**_**) i think jason would know about the unicorns. also why wouldn't they think theyre real. they are apart of a MYTH! they know of pegasi nymphs merponies etc. all the stuff that are considered "not real"-** Sorry I did not know that, and Jason has lost his memory and is STARTING to get it back so he may not remember_._

**2. its au contrair not au contour- **I knew I spelled it wrong but spell check is a failure that will never help me and I was too lazy to look it up sorry about that

**3. drew isnt french. shes asian. and all children of aphrodite speak it.**- Honest mistake and I havn't read the Lost Hero in a little while

**4. do you understand what having an ego means? because you have percy downgrade himself and then thalia says his ego is huge. if you downgrade yourself then your ego isnt huge...- **Yes I do know what ego mean:) I guess Thalia went a little over the top with teasing and forgot what it meant, and yeah I did use that bit too much

No you didn't offend me at all you gave me things to work on and I thank you for that I'm glad you're reviewing and thanks for all the pointing out my stupid mistakes!

**-_Annevjones_ -** Thanks! Yeah I don't swear, well I do but they're like "AW SHUX! or What the Cabbage?" you know? but I doubt the camper would use my swears:)

_**-Reader11**_- If I post fast then the chapter will be suckish:)

* * *

**THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS! Hoped you liked the chapter**

**Review and...favorite and follow you know the drill:) **

**I'll post soon.**


	5. Chapter 5

**_DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THIS (look down) NOPE NADA! RICK RIORDAN DOES HE OWNS PERCY JACKSON AND HEROES OF OLYMPUS! SO...yeah..._**

**_ENJOY!_**

* * *

Annabeth was about to tackle Nico, who was cowering with his arms covering his face. Piper stood up and screamed loudly putting all her charmspeak into her voice, "STOP!"

Everyone froze and turned to her. Annabeth had tears running down her face. She didn't know why, but she couldn't stop crying. Nico knew about that camp all this time but never told them? Betrayal hurts.

"Look, two things and then you can beat Nico up," Piper started and Nico scowled, "One, this hasn't happened yet remember? It'll happen around next week so technically Nico never knew about meeting Percy till now. Second, he probably had his reasons for keeping Camp Jupiter a secret from you; you can't all just jump on him and bully him, for something he thought was right."

Thalia finally spoke up after a moment, "Well on the downside we have no reason to beat the crap out of him now _and _he can't really tell us how Percy is since it hasn't happened yet."

"We're reading about him." Leo pointed out.

Annabeth let out a choked laugh, "Okay Nico give me a good reason to not beat you up and you can't use Piper's"

Nico sighed, "Look I'm sorry, I found out about the camp from a few ghosts in the Underworld and have known about this camp about a week before Percy disappeared. When we found out about Jason being Roman, I checked! I promise except he wasn't there so I didn't think much of it. Plus you were supposed to find out about Camp Jupiter on your own time and find it your own way; I can't mess with Hera…or the fates."

Annabeth nodded, walked over to him and slapped him hard.

"What was that for?" Nico exclaimed clutching his bright red cheek.

"I'm still angry even if I do understand." Annabeth said shrugging. She wiped her cheeks and went to sit next to Grover. For a few seconds everyone was quiet, and then Clarisse said, "Well this is awkward, so goat boy read on!"

Grover muttered something about being half goat and then started to read,

**Hazel**

"What?" Katie said frowning.

"I guess they switch the point of views." Annabeth said.

"What? Hazel's involved with this!" Nico said, being the overprotective brother he was.

**HAZEL FELT LIKE SHE'D JUST INTRODUCED two nuclear bombs. Now she was waiting to see which one exploded first.**

"NICO!" The camp chanted.

**Until that morning, her brother Nico had been the most powerful demigod she knew.**

"Hee, Hee." Nico smirked looking very smug, Thalia rolled her eyes.

** The others at Camp Jupiter saw him as a travelling oddball, about as harmless as the fauns.**

Nico scowled and everyone around him laughed and nodded. "Emo." Thalia muttered

** Hazel knew better. She hadn't grown up with Nico, hadn't even known him very long. But she knew Nico was more dangerous than Reyna, or Octavian, or maybe even Jason.**

"HEY!" Jason said outraged. And Nico smirked once more.

**Then she'd met Percy.**

"DUN DUN DUNN!" The Stolls screamed.

**At first, when she saw him stumbling up the highway with the old lady in his arms, Hazel had thought he might be a god in disguise. **

The newer campers looked impressed and Thalia shrugged saying, "He's a dumb God then.

**Even though he was beaten up, dirty and stooped with exhaustion, he'd had an aura of power.**

"He does." Clarisse said much to everyone's surprise.

** He had the good looks of a Roman god, with sea-green eyes and windblown black hair.**

Annabeth clenched her fist and Thalia and Rachel laughed at her expression.

**She'd ordered Frank not to fire on him. She thought the gods might be testing them. **

"Not gods, Goddess." Piper corrected.

**She'd heard myths like that: a kid with an old lady begs for shelter, and when the rude mortals refuse – boom, they get turned into banana slugs.**

"Banana slugs?"

"As in banana's that can move?"

"I bet they're edible."

"NO THEY'RE SLUGS NOT BANANAS!" Malcolm yelled.

**Then Percy had controlled the river and destroyed the gorgons. He'd turned a pen into a bronze sword. He'd stirred up the whole camp with talk about the graecus.**

"PERCY! PERCY! PERCY!" The entire camp except Jason chanted and cheered, mostly because Jason felt uncomfortable cheering as he was a Roman.

**A son of the sea god …**

**Long ago, Hazel had been told that a descendant of Neptune would save her. But could Percy really take away her curse? It seemed too much to hope for.**

"What curse?" Rachel asked and everyone looked towards Nico.

"No, you guys have to read the book and find out." He shook his head.

**Percy and Nico shook hands. They studied each other warily, and Hazel fought the urge to run. If these two busted out the magic swords, things could get ugly.**

"No Nico would be on the ground crying while Percy laughs and tries to help him up." Grover said laughing.

**Nico didn't appear scary. **

"Just emo." Thalia murmured.

"I DO NOT CUT MYSELF!"

**He was skinny and sloppy in his rumpled black clothes. His hair, as always, looked like he'd just rolled out of bed.**

"Bad boy!" Lacy came up and smacked him hard on the back of his head, "Look presentable!"

Piper snorted.

**Hazel remembered when she'd met him. The first time she'd seen him draw that black sword of his, she'd almost laughed. The way he called it 'Stygian iron', all serious-like – he'd looked ridiculous.**

Everyone nodded and laughed and Nico crossed his arms and scowled.

** This scrawny white boy was no fighter.**

"Hear! Hear!"

** She certainly hadn't believed they were related.**

"Yeah because she sounds so awesome and you are…okay." Thalia laughed.

"You guys! Cut him some slack!" Piper said feeling bad for Nico.

**She had changed her mind about that quick enough.**

Nico grinned.

**Percy scowled. 'I – I know you.'**

Everyone glared at Nico.

**Nico raised his eyebrows. 'Do you?' He looked at Hazel for explanation.**

"LIAR!" Connor yelled pointing at him.

**Hazel hesitated. Something about her brother's reaction wasn't right. He was trying hard to act casual, but when he had first seen Percy, Hazel had noticed his momentary look of panic. **

"You're better than Grover." Annabeth pointed out.

**Nico already knew Percy. She was sure of it. Why was he pretending otherwise?**

"Cause he's an emo brat!" Annabeth growled.

"Annabeth." Piper said warningly. She really didn't need to see Annabeth beating the crap out of Nico.

**Hazel forced herself to speak. 'Um … Percy's lost his memory.' She told her brother what had happened since Percy had arrived at the gates.**

**'So, Nico …' she continued carefully, 'I thought … you know, you travel all over. Maybe you've met demigods like Percy before, or …'**

"Wrong question…" Travis sang.

**Nico's expression turned as dark as Tartarus. Hazel didn't understand why, but she got the message: Drop it.**

"You're such a mean brother!" Juniper said frowning.

"I couldn't let anyone know Percy was Greek!" Nico argued.

**'This story about Gaia's army,' Nico said. 'You warned Reyna?'**

**Percy nodded. 'Who is Gaia, anyway?'**

Face-palm.

**Hazel's mouth went dry. Just hearing that name … It was all she could do to keep her knees from buckling. She remembered a woman's soft sleepy voice, a glowing cave and feeling her lungs fill with black oil.**

Everyone frowned and looked to Nico was looking so angry people actually inched away from him.

**'She's the earth goddess.' Nico glanced at the ground as if it might be listening. 'The oldest goddess of all. She's in a deep sleep most of the time, but she hates the gods and their children.'**

**'Mother Earth … is evil?' Percy asked.**

"Yeah disappointing right?" Connor muttered darkly.

"Yeah seriously all those shows on how Mother Earth is awesome and super nice and makes all the birds sing…lies." Travis went on.

**'Very,' Nico said gravely. 'She convinced her son, the Titan Kronos **

"BLEW YOUR COVER!" Grover shouted gleefully, maybe people would get of his back for being such a horrible liar.

"You're worse." Clarisse muttered.

Apparently not.

**– um, I mean, Saturn – to kill his dad, Uranus, and take over the world. The Titans ruled for a long time. Then the Titans' children, the Olympian gods, overthrew them.'**

**'That story seems familiar.' Percy sounded surprised, like an old memory had partially surfaced. 'But I don't think I ever heard the part about Gaia.'**

"Of course you don't," Annabeth sighed, "Teach you Greek and most of all the mythology but no you can't remember the most important ones."

**Nico shrugged. 'She got mad when the gods took over. She took a new husband – Tartarus, the spirit of the abyss – and gave birth to a race of giants. They tried to destroy Mount Olympus, but the gods finally beat them. At least … the first time.'**

**'The first time?' Percy repeated.**

**"**The first time?" Connor repeated.

"The first time?" Travis repeated as well though softer. Everyone stared.

"WHAT?"

**Nico glanced at Hazel. He probably wasn't meaning to make her feel guilty, but she couldn't help it. If Percy knew the truth about her, and the horrible things she'd done …**

Nico growled.

**'Last summer,' Nico continued, 'Saturn tried to make a comeback. There was a second Titan war. The Romans at Camp Jupiter stormed his headquarters on Mount Othrys, across the bay, and destroyed his throne. **

"So that's really what happened?" Annabeth asked Jason who nodded smugly.

**Saturn disappeared –' He hesitated, watching Percy's face. Hazel got the feeling her brother was nervous that more of Percy's memory might come back.**

"How is that bad?" Annabeth yelled.

"You wouldn't understand." Nico said crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Hmph." Annabeth let it go…for now.

**'Um, anyway,' Nico continued,**

"Awkward!" Travis said.

"It's not awkward," Katie sighed.

"Yeah, he said 'um', which means awkward." Travis retorted.

Face-palm

** 'Saturn probably faded back to the abyss. We all thought the war was over. **

"We wish." Thalia muttered.

**Now it looks like the Titans' defeat stirred up Gaia.**

"She's not even a good mother I don't see why she's upset." Will said annoyed.

** She's starting to wake. I've heard reports of giants being reborn. If they mean to challenge the gods again, they'll probably start by destroying the demigods …'**

Everyone shuddered.

**'You've told Reyna this?' Percy asked.**

**'Of course.' Nico's jaw tensed.**

"Is someone angry?" Thalia said in a baby voice to a scowling Nico.

"Shut up."

** 'The Romans don't trust me. That's why I was hoping she'd listen to you. Children of Pluto … well, no offence, but they think we're even worse than children of Neptune. We're bad luck.'**

"Yeah, your father is God of Death." Grover said shuddering at the memories of when he was in the Underworld.

"Death, and Hades are entirely different things." Nico snapped.

"What?" Piper frowned.

"Nothing."

**'They let Hazel stay here,' Percy noted.**

"Observant little git." Nico muttered.

"Git? Did you just say git? You're not British, you're Italian Nico." Rachel snorted.

**'That's different,' Nico said.**

"How?" Annabeth said.

**'Why?'**

**'Percy,' Hazel cut in, 'look, the giants aren't the worst problem. Even … even Gaia isn't the worst problem. The thing you noticed about the gorgons, how they wouldn't die, that's our biggest worry.' **

Annabeth gasped and Nico nodded grimly.

"What?" Thalia said.

"Nothing." Annabeth and Nico replied hastily.

**She looked at Nico. She was getting dangerously close to her own secret now, but for some reason Hazel trusted Percy. **

"He's a trustworthy person." Grover said.

**Maybe because he was also an outsider, maybe because he'd saved Frank at the river. He deserved to know what they were facing.**

"Yeah because he'll save your butts!" Thalia said annoyed.

**'Nico and I,' she said carefully, 'we think that what's happening is … Death isn't –'**

Annabeth growled, "Seriously? Percy always gets these kind of problems!"

"It's not his fault Annabeth he'll survive." Nico murmured.

"What are you talking about?" Thalia exclaimed feeling left out.

"Just read." Annabeth snapped.

**Before she could finish, a shout came from down the hill.**

"DUN DUN DUNNN!" The Stolls yelled making several people jump.

**Frank jogged towards them, wearing his jeans, purple camp shirt and denim jacket. His hands were covered with grease from cleaning weapons.**

"EW!" Lacy screeched. Everyone winced.

**As it did every time she saw Frank, Hazel's heart Performed a little skip-beat tap-dance – which really irritated her.**

"It shouldn't be doing that." Nico growled.

"Aw is the older brother mad his little sister has a crush." Thalia teased.

** Sure, he was a good friend – one of the only people at camp who didn't treat her as if she had a contagious disease. **

"HAZEL IS AWESOME!" Jason said annoyed.

**But she didn't like him in that way.**

Nico visibly relaxed and Thalia laughed at his still over protective look.

**He was three years older than she was, and he wasn't exactly Prince Charming, with that strange combination of baby face and bulky wrestler's body.**

Cue laughter.

** He looked like a cuddly koala bear with muscles.**

"That's so cool!" The Stolls yelled.

"Yeah Koala bears are so underrated." Leo agreed.

** The fact that everyone always tried to pair them up – the two biggest losers at camp! **

"Hazel seems cool, she's not a loser." Piper frowned.

**You guys are perfect for each other – just made Hazel more determined not to like him.**

"Good." Nico said smiling.

**But her heart wasn't with the program. It went nuts whenever Frank was around. She hadn't felt like that since … well, since Sammy.**

"Sammy?"

"Who's Sammy?"

"Her boyfriend?"

"Bet Frank's gonna get jealous!"

"I wonder who would win Sammy or Frank?"

"Sammy!"

"Bet you three drachma Frank would win!"

"You're on!"

"SHUT UP!" Annabeth roared.

**Stop it, she thought. You're here for one reason – and it isn't to get a new boyfriend.**

"Exactly!" Nico said.

**Besides, Frank didn't know her secret. If he knew, he wouldn't be so nice to her.**

"No, I'd still like her." Travis shrugged.

**He reached the shrine. 'Hey, Nico …'**

**'Frank.' Nico smiled. He seemed to find Frank amusing, maybe because Frank was the only one at camp who wasn't uneasy around the children of Pluto.**

Everyone looked at him and he said, "What?"

"Amusing?" Annabeth said.

"He's not your pet!" Piper growled she already liked Frank even if they hadn't met. She could somehow relate to him.

"I didn't say he was!"

**'Reyna sent me to get Percy,' Frank said. 'Did Octavian accept you?'**

**'Yeah,' Percy said. 'He slaughtered my panda.'**

Everyone chuckled.

**'He … Oh. The augury? Yeah, teddy bears must have nightmares about that guy. But you're in! We need to get you cleaned up before evening muster.'**

"Muster?"

"I think that's the Roman word for Mustard…"

"I love mustard!"

"It stinks though."

"NOT MUSTARD MUSTER! AS IN CALLING IN TROOPS!" Jason yelled out. Sometimes he really didn't understand the Greeks.

**Hazel realized the sun was getting low over the hills. How had the day gone so fast? 'You're right,' she said. 'We'd better –'**

**'Frank,' Nico interrupted, 'why don't you take Percy down? Hazel and I will be along soon.'**

"Oooooo, she's in trouble." Leo sang.

**Uh-oh, Hazel thought. She tried not to look anxious.**

"And she knoooows, she's a bad girl." Leo sang again.

**'That's – that's a good idea,' she managed. 'Go ahead, guys. We'll catch up.'**

**Percy looked at Nico one more time, as though he were still trying to place a memory. 'I'd like to talk with you some more. I can't shake the feeling –'**

"That he knows you? Yeah we all know you know Nico!" Annabeth growled crossing her arms.

"Talking to a book!" Someone sang out from behind.

**'Sure,' Nico agreed. 'Later. I'll be staying overnight.'**

"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN THERE!" Annabeth said shocked.

"Annabeth? This happens in a few days so I don't know." Nico said cautiously.

**'You will?' Hazel blurted. The campers were going to love that – the son of Neptune and the son of Pluto arriving on the same day.**

"Yeah two powerful awesome demi-gods that can save the world!" Nico said proudly.

"You mean one Nico." Thalia snorted and he scowled.

** Now all they needed was some black cats and broken mirrors.**

"Percy's good luck Hazel." Nico groaned rolling his eyes.

**'Go on, Percy,' Nico said. 'Settle in.' He turned to Hazel, and she got the sense that the worst part of her day was yet to come. 'My sister and I need to talk.'**

"OOOH!" The camp said together, except the mature ones (cough* Annabeth* cough).

**'You know him, don't you,' Hazel said.**

"YEAH HAZEL, NOW KICK HIM IN WHERE IT HURTS!" Annabeth cheered, she still hadn't fully forgiven Nico.

**They sat on the roof of Pluto's shrine, which was covered with bones and diamonds. As far as Hazel knew, the bones had always been there. The diamonds were her fault. If she sat anywhere too long, or just got anxious, they started popping up all around her like mushrooms after a rain. Several million dollars' worth of stones glittered on the roof, but fortunately the other campers wouldn't touch them. **

"That's awesome!" The Hermes cabin said together.

"She doesn't want any campers to touch the,, typical Pluto kid." Travis rolled his eyes.

"Have you ever met a child of Pluto?" Nico said annoyed.

"Yeah! You."

"Son of Hades, not Pluto."

"Big difference."

**They knew better than to steal from temples – especially Pluto's – and the fauns never came up here.**

"Why not? What's wrong with fauns? FAUNS ARE AWESOME!" Grover said.

"We know that." Juniper said trying to calm him down.

**Hazel shuddered, remembering her close call with Don that afternoon. If she hadn't moved quickly and snatched that diamond off the road … She didn't want to think about it. She didn't need another death on her conscience.**

Everyone frowned. "Death?" Jason asked.

Nico shook his head.

**Nico swung his feet like a little kid. **

"'Cause you are one." Thalia muttered.

**His Stygian iron sword lay by his side, next to Hazel's spatha. He gazed across the valley, where construction crews were working in the Field of Mars, building fortifications for tonight's games.**

"Games?" The Ares cabin perked up.

**'Percy Jackson.' He said the name like an incantation. 'Hazel, I have to be careful what I say. Important things are at work here. Some secrets need to stay secret. You of all people – you should understand that.'**

Everyone frowned and Annabeth sighed. She shouldn't get angry at Nico, he was doing the right thing.

**Hazel's cheeks felt hot. 'But he's not like … like me?'**

"No, he's a boy you're a girl." Connor said slowly. Everyone rolled their eyes.

**'No,' Nico said. 'I'm sorry I can't tell you more. I can't interfere. Percy has to find his own way at this camp.'**

"See?" Nico asked smugly. "I know what I'm doing."

**'Is he dangerous?' she asked.**

"YEAH!" The camp roared.

**Nico managed a dry smile. 'Very. To his enemies. But he's not a threat to Camp Jupiter. You can trust him.'**

"Hell yeah you can." Annabeth snorted.

"ANNABETH NO SWEARING!" Travis scolded.

**'Like I trust you,' Hazel said bitterly.**

"Exactly." Nico muttered angrily.

**Nico twisted his skull ring. Around him, bones began to quiver as if they were trying to form a new skeleton. Whenever he got moody, Nico had that effect on the dead, kind of like Hazel's curse. **

"Except mine's not a curse." Nico mumbled.

**Between them, they represented Pluto's two spheres of control: death and riches. Sometimes Hazel thought Nico had got the better end of the deal.**

"What? No way! I rather have riches then skeletons." Connor said frowning

"You don't understand." Nico said exasperated.

**'Look, I know this is hard,' Nico said. 'But you have a second chance. You can make things right.'**

**'Nothing about this is right,' Hazel said. 'If they find out the truth about me –'**

Everyone glanced at Nico expectedly. He shook his head scowling.

**'They won't,' Nico promised. 'They'll call a quest soon. They have to. You'll make me proud. Trust me, Bi–'**

Everyone fell silent and Nico look both sad and frustrated.

**He caught himself, but Hazel knew what he'd almost called her: Bianca. Nico's real sister – the one he'd grown up with. **

Thalia put an arm around Nico who had bowed his head.

**Nico might care about Hazel, but she'd never be Bianca. Hazel was the simply the next best thing Nico could manage – a consolation prize from the Underworld.**

"SHE IS NOT; I LOVE HER JUST AS MUCH!" Nico said loudly and frustrated.

**'I'm sorry,' he said.**

**Hazel's mouth tasted like metal, as if gold nuggets were popping up under her tongue. 'Then it's true about Death? Is Alcyoneus to blame?'**

Everyone murmured to themselves, confusion on their faces. Annabeth and Nico looked scared.

**'I think so,' Nico said. 'It's getting bad in the Underworld. Dad's going crazy trying to keep things under control. From what Percy said about the gorgons, things are getting worse up here, too. But look, that's why you're here. All that stuff in your past – you can make something good come out of it. You belong at Camp Jupiter.'**

Nico nodded along with Jason.

**That sounded so ridiculous Hazel almost laughed. **

"It's not ridiculous!" Nico exclaimed.

**She didn't belong in this place. She didn't even belong in this century.**

"Huh?"

**She should have known better than to focus on the past, but she remembered the day when her old life had been shattered. The blackout hit her so suddenly she didn't even have time to say, Uh-oh. She shifted back in time.**

"What?" The entire camp asked.

"You'll see." Nico said darkly.

** Not a dream or a vision. The memory washed over her with such perfect clarity that she felt she was actually there.**

**Her most recent birthday. She'd just turned thirteen. **

"GASP I'M THIRTEEN WE'RE TWINS!" Connor said gasping.

"You're sixteen idiot!" Katie said annoyed. **(a/n: Not sure if that's true)**

"A boy can dream."

**But not last December – 17 December **

**"**Hey isn't Missy born on that day?" Will asked.

"Yeah!" Missy replied, (Daughter of Hermes)

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Travis screamed.

"You're like 7 months late." Missy replied.

"No I'm 6 months early!"

**1941, the last day she had lived in New Orleans.**

"She must have great moisturizer." An Aphrodite child said.

"Is that true?" Annabeth asked Nico frowning.

"Yeah," Nico said.

"Well on that happy note let's keep reading!" Leo said brightly.

"OW!"

Piper's other boot was thrown at his head.

* * *

**I'm alive don't worry! Has it really been one ENTIRE week? Yeah that's not so long...except for the tiny little cliff hanger...**

**Did you know that a cliff hanger is really when a character is or will be in immediate danger? So technically Rick Riordan hasn't given us any cliff hangers in Lost Hero or Son of Neptune. Except Rick Riordan has admitted to us fan people that there'll be a cliff hanger at the end of Mark of Athena. AND he said it will be the worst cliff hanger of all five books in the series! I'm kind of scared and excited. (Watch Annabeth be in danger at the end of Mark of Athena...)**

**ANYways...yes I haven't posted very fast, and I'll be posting slowly like this from now on. Because GASP! School has started. I know the world has ended. **

**So Sorry in advance to my slow posts and I hope you enjoyed this chapter...which I feel the need to point out was kind of bad. Sorry. I've been off this week.**

* * *

**Daughter of Artemis-** Yeah I love the word Leoness I use it on a daily basis. And I think Jason wouldn't really feel jealous more... awkward and uncomfortable. I feel people downgrade Jason a lot he's not that bad.

**Empty Thought**- TAAAANK YOU! And obviously the characters are OOC! Sadly I'm not Rick Riordan so I don't really know exactly how the characters will react.

**Vball17girl**- No the Gods aren't going to show up...maybe Apollo or Hermes once in a while...maybe even Poseidon but most likely not, like I said I wanted this to be a Camp Half-Blood thing.

**Flower Goddess**- I was kind of not going to have them beat up Nico anyways glad to know we think alike!

**Pikachu087**- Don't we all?

**Guest- **Guess Nico was too panicked to do that:)

Yeah I kind of shortened up your user names sorry. I'm just SO lazy:)

* * *

**THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE I SHALL POST SOMETIME LATER THIS WEEK! **

**-BB247**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NOTHING! EXCEPT MY COMPUTER...okay technically it isn't mine.**

**CAUTION: This does have some serious moments..and you won't laugh as much, but thank gods for the Stolls right? **

**Enjoy:)**

* * *

Thalia handed the book over to Piper; she read on.

**HAZEL WAS WALKING HOME ALONE from the riding stables. **

"Wait, I'm confused," Leo said, "Wasn't she just with Nico?"

Nico shook his head and told Piper to read over the last paragraph in the last chapter, when she finished Leo nodded, only with a slightly confused face.

**Despite the cold evening, she was buzzing with warmth. Sammy had just kissed her on the cheek.**

"Aaw.." The Aphrodite cabin cooed.

**The day had been full of ups and downs. Kids at school had teased her about her mother, calling her a witch and a lot of other names.**

Annabeth frowned, "This is a memory in 1942?"

Nico nodded.

"But then why-?"

"If this is really a book on Percy, and I guess Hazel too, then I'm guessing it'll explain." Nico said holding up his hand what he didn't mention was how he really hated talking about Hazel's horrible past.

**That had been going on for a long time, of course, but it was getting worse. Rumors were spreading about Hazel's curse. **

Piper shuddered and everyone else frowned. Thalia spoke up, "You mean with the diamonds?"

Nico scowled and said, "Yes, now stop asking questions."

**The school was called St Agnes Academy for Colored Children and Indians, a name that hadn't changed in a hundred years. **

"That's totally racist." Piper said annoyed and Jason hid a smile on his blank face.

**Just like its name, the place masked a whole lot of cruelty under a thin veneer of kindness.**

Piper clenched her fists.

**Hazel didn't understand how other black kids could be so mean. **

Everyone looked sad, bullies. They'd all had them, even children of Aphrodite.

**They should've known better, since they themselves had to put up with name-calling all the time. But they yelled at her and stole her lunch, always asking for those famous jewels: 'Where's those cursed diamonds, girl? Gimme some or I'll hurt you!' **

A few girls growled and Jason had to pry Piper's fingers off the book and instead of letting her calm down he read on, making sure to not sound as angry as he was.

**They pushed her away at the water fountain, and threw rocks at her if she tried to approach them on the playground.**

A few more people grew angry, but then Annabeth laughed and everyone stared at her.

"Sorry, it's just that if Percy knew about this he'd demand for some God to take him back in time so he could beat these kids up."

A few people chuckled in response.

**Despite how horrible they were, Hazel never gave them diamonds or gold.**

"Atta girl." Travis grinned.

** She didn't hate anyone that much. Besides, she had one friend – Sammy – and that was enough.**

**"**AAAW!"

"SHUT UP!" Clarisse said.

**Sammy liked to joke that he was the perfect St Agnes student. He was Mexican American, so he considered himself colored and Indian. 'They should give me a double scholarship,' he said.**

Leo started to crack up and a few people rolled their eyes. This Sammy kid sounded just like him.

**He wasn't big or strong, but he had a crazy smile and he made Hazel laugh.**

The Aphrodite cabin squealed in delight and even Piper couldn't hide her tiny smile.

**That afternoon he'd taken her to the stables where he worked as a groom. **

"They're getting MARRIED?" Travis gasped.

Face-palm.

**It was a 'whites only' riding club, of course, but it was closed on weekdays and, with the war on, there was talk that the club might have to shut down completely until the Japanese were whipped and the soldiers came back home. Sammy could usually sneak Hazel in to help take care of the horses. Once in a while they'd go riding.**

"Off into the sunset!" Lacy squealed.

**Hazel loved horses. They seemed to be the only living things that weren't scared of her. **

"That's not true!" Nico protested.

**People hated her. **

"I don't" Jason and Nico said together.

**Cats hissed. Dogs growled. Even the stupid hamster in Miss Finley's classroom squeaked in terror when she gave it a carrot. **

Connor laughed, "Ha-ha carrot, she can somehow make diamonds appear and…carrots…"

Travis shook his head, "Not funny dude."

**But horses didn't mind. **

"That's different she's a daughter if Pluto and horses are Poseidon's realm." Malcolm said.

"She's just awesome like that." Nico defended.

**When she was in the saddle, she could ride so fast that there was no chance of gemstones cropping up in her wake. She almost felt free of her curse.**

"I'm sad." Connor stated nodding sadly as if to show everyone.

"Connor, will you STOP saying everything that comes into your mind?" Katie demanded.

"No."

**That afternoon, she'd taken out a tan roan stallion with a gorgeous black mane. She galloped into the fields so swiftly, she left Sammy behind. By the time he caught up, he and his horse were both winded.**

**'What are you running from?' He laughed. 'I'm not that ugly, am I?'**

Leo laughed again, "That's funny, I have to use that line."

"Honestly," Piper exclaimed, "Do you even know what humor is?"

**It was too cold for a picnic, but they had one anyway, sitting under a magnolia tree with the horses tethered to a split-rail fence. **

"AAAAW!"

**Sammy had brought her a cupcake with a birthday candle, which had got smashed on the ride but was still the sweetest thing Hazel had ever seen. **

**"**DOUBLE AAAAW!"

"I swear—"

"Clarisse!"

**They broke it in half and shared it.**

"Sharing is caring!" Travis started.

"But not when it's a cupcake." Connor finished shaking his head.

**Sammy talked about the war. He wished he were old enough to go. He asked Hazel if she would write him letters if he were a soldier going overseas.**

**"**She better! They're in love!" Drew said forcefully.

"Can you prove that?" Piper challenged and Leo and Jason had to stifle their laughter.

"Look at them! It's beneath their words!" Drew retorted.

"Technically we're reading this," piper said.

"UGH!"

**''Course, dummy,' she said.**

"See?" Drew said.

"I never said she's say no, I said you couldn't prove they're in love." Piper said leaning back.

**He grinned. Then, as if moved by a sudden impulse, he lurched forward and kissed her on the cheek. 'Happy birthday, Hazel.'**

The camp started roaring 'Happy Birthday' all at different tunes and tempos. **_(A/N: Harry Potter anyone?)_**

The Aphrodite cabin cheered and once everyone settled down Jason began to read,

**It wasn't much. Just one kiss, and not even on the lips. But Hazel felt like she was floating.**

"In the air?" Connor said.

"Logically," Travis said taking on a nasally voice of how he thought nerds spoke, "You can't float in air."

"Excuse me?" Jason challenged and he rose off the ground for a few seconds.

"Well, _logically_," Travis went on in the same voice, "Normal people can't float in air."

** She hardly remembered the ride back to the stables, or telling Sammy goodbye. He said, 'See you tomorrow,' like he always did. But she would never see him again.**

"WHAT?" Lacy screeched.

"Piper please teach Lacy how to whisper." Annabeth said wincing.

**By the time she got back to the French Quarter, it was getting dark. As she approached home, her warm feeling faded, replaced by dread.**

Nico frowned, she never talked about her parents with him. **_(A/N: Obviously I don't know if this is true.)_**

**Hazel and her mother – Queen Marie, she liked to be called – lived in an old apartment above a jazz club. **

"Jazz hands!" Leo yelled and he started doing the action along with some dorks from Hermes. Cough, the Stolls, cough.

**Despite the beginning of the war, there was a festive mood in the air. New recruits would roam the streets, laughing and talking about fighting the Japanese. They'd get tattoos in the parlours or propose to their sweethearts right on the sidewalk. **

"AAAAW!"

"That's—"

"Piper!"

**Some would go upstairs to Hazel's mother to have their fortunes read or to buy charms from Marie Levesque, the famous gris-gris queen.**

"He-he, gris-gris…." Leo snickered.

**'Did you hear?' one would say. 'Two bits for this good-luck charm. I took it to a guy I know, and he says it's a real silver nugget. Worth twenty dollars! That voodoo woman is crazy!'**

"Voodoo?" Thalia snorted.

**For a while, that kind of talk brought Queen Marie a lot of business. Hazel's curse had started out slowly. At first it seemed like a blessing. The precious stones and gold only appeared once in a while, never in huge quantities. Queen Marie paid her bills. They ate steak for dinner once a week. **

The guys drooled at the word and Piper and Annabeth sighed.

**Hazel even got a new dress. **

"Pretty?" Lacy squealed.

"We, girls, need to go shopping." Sandy, daughter of Aphrodite stated.

"YES!" Some other girls (Aphrodite) squealed.

"And we can bring Piper, get her out of dumpster clothes." Drew smirked.

"No way in Tartarus!" Piper growled.

"Come on!" Lacy pleaded.

"I rather go fight a giant right now."

**But then stories started spreading. **

"Wow so even then people gossiped like they were in high-school." Thalia raised an eyebrow.

**The locals began to realize how many horrible things happened to people who bought those good-luck charms or got paid with Queen Marie's treasure. Charlie Gasceaux lost his arm in a harvester while wearing a gold bracelet. Mr Henry at the general store dropped dead from a heart attack after Queen Marie settled her tab with a ruby.**

Everyone breathed in. _What? That was her curse? _

Nico shuddered.

**Folks started whispering about Hazel – how she could find cursed jewels just by walking down the street. These days only out-of-towners came to visit her mother, and not so many of them, either. Hazel's mom had become short-tempered. **

"Like Thalia." Travis snickered.

"OW!" Once again a shoe was thrown at Travis…this time it wasn't Pipers.

"What is with the shoes?" Travis exclaimed.

"Hey, speaking of shoes, where did you guys put my boots?" Piper asked.

"Hid them." The Stolls grinned. Piper groaned.

**She gave Hazel resentful looks.**

**Hazel climbed the stairs as quietly as she could, in case her mother had a customer. In the club downstairs, the band was tuning their instruments. **

"To play jazz?" Will questioned.

**The bakery next door had started making fritters **

"Fritters?"

"Aren't those bugs?"

"No." Annabeth shook her head.

**for tomorrow morning, filling the stairwell with the smell of melting butter.**

"Butter…" Leo drooled.

**When she got to the top,**

"Of the mountain?" Clovis asked just waking up.

"Stay awake Clover!" Someone yelled.

"Clovis!"

** Hazel thought she heard two voices inside the apartment. **

"First sign of craziness, hearing voices." Thalia stated.

**But when she peeked into the parlor, her mother was sitting alone at the séance table, her eyes closed, as if in a trance.**

**Hazel had seen her that way many times, pretending to talk to spirits for her clients – but not ever when she was by herself. Queen Marie had always told Hazel her gris-gris was 'bunk and hokum'. She didn't really believe in charms or fortune telling or ghosts. She was just a performer, like a singer or an actress, doing a show for money.**

"SHE'S A LIAR?" Connor gasped.

**But Hazel knew her mother did believe in some magic. Hazel's curse wasn't hokum. Queen Marie just didn't want to think it was her fault – that somehow she had made Hazel the way she was.**

"Then why the resentful looks?" Annabeth muttered.

**'It was your blasted father,'**

"Nico she insulted your father!" Leo whined.

** Queen Marie would grumble in her darker moods. 'Coming here in his fancy silver-and-black suit. The one time I actually summon a spirit, and what do I get? Fulfills my wish and ruins my life. I should've been a real queen. It's his fault you turned out this way.'**

Everyone frowned. _Why would Pluto do that to his daughter?_

**She would never explain what she meant, and Hazel had learned not to ask about her father. It just made her mother angrier.**

"Yeah, never anger a woman." Travis said. Katie rolled her eyes.

**As Hazel watched, Queen Marie muttered something to herself.**

"First sign of craziness—" Leo started.

"We already know!" Piper exclaimed.

"So you agree?"

"No I didn't...never mind." Piper sighed.

** Her face was calm and relaxed. Hazel was struck by how beautiful she looked, without her scowl and the creases in her brow. She had a lush mane of gold-brown hair like Hazel's, and the same dark complexion, brown as a roasted coffee bean. **

"Coffee messes with your sleep!" Clovis yelled, waking up abruptly.

"Coffee is awesome!" Travis and Connor said together.

**She wasn't wearing the fancy saffron robes or gold bangles she wore to impress clients – just a simple white dress. Still, she had a regal air, sitting straight and dignified in her gilded chair as if she really were a queen.**

"Unlike Hera." Annabeth muttered and thunder roared.

**'You'll be safe there,' she murmured. 'Far from the gods.'**

"Safe where?" Nico frowned.

"Maybe she meant Camp Jupiter?" Jason inquired.

**Hazel stifled a scream. **

"It's not that shocking Gods exist. I mean if you have an abnormal curse than it shouldn't be such a big deal." Grover mumbled.

**The voice coming from her mother's mouth wasn't hers. **

"Oh."

**It sounded like an older woman's. The tone was soft and soothing, but also commanding – like a hypnotist giving orders.**

Everyone sucked in a breathe.

**Queen Marie tensed. She grimaced in her trance, then spoke in her normal voice: 'It's too far. Too cold. Too dangerous. He told me not to.'**

"What?" Annabeth asked and Nico muttered,

"Pluto."

**The other voice responded: 'What has he ever done for you? He gave you a poisoned child! But we can use her gift for good. We can strike back at the gods. You will be under my protection in the north, far from the gods' domain. I'll make my son your protector. You'll live like a queen at last.'**

No dared spoke up until Annabeth finally said what was on everyone's mind, "Gaea coming back isn't revenge, is it?"

"No, she's been planning right when World War 2 started, meaning the pact hadn't been made even." Malcolm replied furrowing his eyebrows.

"But then if it isn't revenge why is she suddenly waking up?" Piper asked.

"This isn't suddenly, I have a feeling Gaea's been planning this for a while and she's finally seen her chance." Annabeth answered.

"And of course it couldn't wait till we were all gone." Thalia muttered.

"Technically it doesn't matter you'd still be alive." Grover pointed out.

"Shut it, goat boy."

**Queen Marie winced. 'But what about Hazel …'**

**Then her face contorted in a sneer. Both voices spoke in unison, as if they'd found something to agree on: 'A poisoned child.'**

Nico growled.

**Hazel fled down the stairs, her pulse racing.**

**At the bottom, she ran into a man in a dark suit. He gripped her shoulders with strong, cold fingers.**

**'Easy, child,' the man said.**

**Hazel noticed the silver skull ring on his finger, **

Everyone glanced at Nico who scowled.

**then the strange fabric of his suit. In the shadows, the solid black wool seemed to shift and boil, forming images of faces in agony, as if lost souls were trying to escape from the folds of his clothes.**

"Pluto." Piper spoke surprised.

"He doesn't look like Hades." Annabeth agreed.

"How would you know?" Leo asked.

"Met him with Percy and Grover a few times." She shrugged.

"Well, Percy and I have seen him way more." Nico spoke up.

"I was with you one of those times!" Thalia argued.

"How many times has Percy been to the Underworld?" Jason interrupted.

"Too many times to count." The bickering trio said together.

**His tie was black with platinum stripes. His shirt was tombstone grey. His face – Hazel's heart nearly leaped out of her throat. His skin was so white it looked almost blue, like cold milk. He had a flap of greasy black hair. His smile was kind enough, but his eyes were fiery and angry, full of mad power. Hazel had seen that look in the newsreels at the movie theater. This man looked like that awful Adolf Hitler. He had no moustache, but otherwise he could've been Hitler's twin – or his father.**

"Hitler was Ares's son right?" Katie asked.

"Yeah." Clarisse spoke up and the entire cabin cheered.

"Worst. Demi-god. Ever." Nico muttered.

**Hazel tried to pull away. Even when the man let go, she couldn't seem to move. His eyes froze her in place.**

**'Hazel Levesque,' he said in a melancholy voice. 'You've grown.'**

"What do you think? She was a baby when you last saw her!" Nico said in frustration.

**Hazel started to tremble. At the base of the stairs, the cement stoop cracked under the man's feet. A glittering stone popped up from the concrete like the earth had spat out a watermelon seed. The man looked at it, unsurprised. He bent down.**

**'Don't!' Hazel cried. 'It's cursed!'**

"You shouldn't care for his health." Nico growled. And a few people, even Thalia moved away from him.

**He picked up the stone – a perfectly formed emerald. 'Yes, it is. But not to me. So beautiful … worth more than this building, I imagine.' He slipped the emerald in his pocket. 'I'm sorry for your fate, child. I imagine you hate me.'**

"I do." Nico grumbled.

**Hazel didn't understand. The man sounded sad, as if he were personally responsible for her life. **

"He is." Jason said softly. He was fond of Hazel; she was so nice, so quiet and shy. He didn't like it when she hurt.

**Then the truth hit her: a spirit in silver and black, who'd fulfilled her mother's wishes and ruined her life.**

**Her eyes widened. 'You? You're my …'**

"Father." Nico spat out grimly.

**He cupped his hand under her chin. 'I am Pluto. Life is never easy for my children, **

Everyone glanced at Nico. "Do you have any curses we should know about?" Thalia asked slowly.

He shook his head.

**but you have a special burden. Now that you're thirteen, we must make provisions –'**

**She pushed his hand away.**

**'You did this to me?' she demanded. 'You cursed me and my mother? You left us alone?'**

**Her eyes stung with tears. This rich white man in a fine suit was her father? Now that she was thirteen, he showed up for the first time and said he was sorry?**

"I know right." A few people mutter thinking of _their_ Godly parent.

**'You're evil!' she shouted. 'You ruined our lives!'**

**Pluto's eyes narrowed. 'What has your mother told you, Hazel? Has she never explained her wish? Or told you why you were born under a curse?'**

"Probably not. Just like most mortal parent, they say nothing." Annabeth muttered angrily.

**Hazel was too angry to speak, but Pluto seemed to read the answers in her face.**

**'No …' He sighed. 'I suppose she wouldn't. Much easier to blame me.'**

"Well, it is fun to blame the Gods too…" Connor said brightly and thunder roared in the distance.

**'What do you mean?'**

**Pluto sighed. 'Poor child. You were born too soon. I cannot see your future clearly, but some day you will find your place. A descendant of Neptune **

Everyone perked up.

**will wash away your curse and give you peace. **

"It's always Percy that has to help other people. Will he ever get a break?" Annabeth sighed.

"We don't know if it's Percy yet though." Malcolm spoke up.

"Bet you it's Percy!" Travis said to Connor.

"You're on!" Connor slapped his palm against his brothers.

**I fear, though, that is not for many years …'**

**Hazel didn't follow any of that. Before she could respond, Pluto held out his hand. A sketchpad and a box of coloured pencils appeared in his palm.**

**'I understand you enjoy art and horseback riding,' he said. 'These are for your art. As for the horse …' His eyes gleamed. 'That, you'll have to manage yourself. Now I must speak with your mother. Happy birthday, Hazel.'**

Again everyone roared 'Happy Birthday'. Jason and Annabeth rolled their eyes.

**He turned and headed up the stairs – just like that, as if he'd checked Hazel off his 'to do' list and had already forgotten her. **

A few people grumbled about their Godly parents forgetting their birthdays.

**Happy birthday. Go draw a picture. See you in another thirteen years.**

Leo laughed. "Ha! That's actually really funny."

**She was so stunned, so angry, so upside-down confused that she just stood paralyzed at the base of the steps. She wanted to throw down the colored pencils and stomp on them. **

"Now Hazel, what have the color pencils ever done to you?" Travis scolded.

"Talking to a book!" Someone called out.

**She wanted to charge after Pluto and kick him. **

"Rule number 1, never kick a God." Connor stated.

**She wanted to run away, find Sammy, steal a horse, leave town and never come back. But she didn't do any of those things.**

The Aphrodite cabin looked sad.

**Above her, the apartment door opened, and Pluto stepped inside.**

**Hazel was still shivering from his cold touch, but she crept up the stairs to see what he would do. What would he say to Queen Marie? **

"She calls her mom 'Queen Marie?'" Will asked with raised eyebrows.

**Who would speak back – Hazel's mother, or that awful voice?**

**"**I don't know!" Leo said looking panicked.

"Leo?"

"Yes?"

"Calm down."

"…okay!"

**When she reached the doorway, Hazel heard arguing. **

"Aaah, divorced parents." Travis said smiling.

"Never a happy site." Connor replied grinning.

Katie wacked them both upside of the head.

**She peeked in.**

"EAVSDROPPER!" Mike son of Hermes yelled.

"Hey! That was our line!" Travis complained and Connor nodded.

"Ha! You're too old, so you're not as fast as me!" Mike replied grinning, one of his teeth missing.

** Her mother seemed back to normal – screaming and angry, throwing things around the parlor while Pluto tried to reason with her.**

"Not going to work!" Nico sang.

**'Marie, it's insanity,' he said. 'You'll be far beyond my power to protect you.'**

"Hey, you dumped her, you shouldn't try to protect her." Drew said shrugging.

**'Protect me?' Queen Marie yelled. 'When have you ever protected me?'**

"Burn." Will chuckled.

**Pluto's dark suit shimmered, as if the souls trapped in the fabric were getting agitated.**

"That's creepy." Rachel shuddered.

**'You have no idea,' he said. 'I've kept you alive, you and the child. My enemies are everywhere among gods and men. Now, with the war on, it will only get worse. You must stay where I can –'**

"Men? Men?" Thalia screeched and Annabeth and Nico rolled their eyes, "WHAT ABOUT WOMAN? We are just as good! We can beat you stupid, revolting men too!"

"Hey!" Jason exclaimed.

"Blood siblings don't count." Thalia snapped, crossing her arms.

**'The police think I'm a murderer!' Queen Marie shouted. 'My clients want to hang me as a witch! And Hazel – her curse is getting worse. Your protection is killing us.**

**Pluto spread his hands in a pleading gesture. 'Marie, please –'**

**'No!' Queen Marie turned to the closet, pulled out a leather valise and threw it on the table. 'We're leaving,' she announced. 'You can keep your protection. We're going north.'**

"North?" Annabeth frowned and then gasped, "Are you serious? She can't be that stupid!"

"What?" Piper asked.

"They're going to Alaska." Annabeth answered grimly, and some people gasped.

"What's so bad about—" Leo started.

"The land beyond the Gods." Jason said gripping Piper's hand.

**'Marie, it's a trap,' Pluto warned. 'Whoever's whispering in your ear, whoever's turning you against me –'**

Jason, Piper, and Leo shuddered, they _hated_ that voice.

**'You turned me against you!' She picked up a porcelain vase and threw it at him. It shattered on the floor, and precious stones spilled everywhere – emeralds, rubies, diamonds. Hazel's entire collection.**

"I wouldn't exactly call it a collection." Grover said uncertainty.

**'You won't survive,' Pluto said. 'If you go north, you'll both die. I can foresee that clearly.'**

Nico took in a sharp breath and reminded himself that she was still alive.

**'Get out!' she said.**

**Hazel wished Pluto would stay and argue. Whatever her mother was talking about, Hazel didn't like it. But her father slashed his hand across the air and dissolved into shadows … like he really was a spirit.**

**Queen Marie closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. Hazel was afraid the strange voice might possess her again. But when she spoke she was her regular self.**

** 'Hazel,' she snapped, 'come out from behind that door.'**

"BUSTED!" Most of the Hermes cabin roared.

**Trembling, Hazel obeyed. She clutched the sketchpad and colored pencils to her chest.**

"See? Aren't you glad you didn't throw them on the ground?" Travis said.

"Talking to a book!" Someone sang.

"Again!" Another person sang back.

"Don't finish my sentences!"

"I'll do whatever I want!"

"Who do you think you are?"

"SHUT UP!" Clarisse shouted.

**Her mother studied her like she was a bitter disappointment. A poisoned child, the voices had said.**

**'Pack a bag,' she ordered. 'We're moving.'**

**'Wh-where?' Hazel asked.**

**'Alaska,' Queen Marie answered. 'You're going to make yourself useful. We're going to start a new life.'**

"I was correct!" Annabeth said proudly.

"When are you not?" Thalia rolled her eyes.

**The way her mother said that, it sounded as if they were going to create a 'new life' for someone else – or something else.**

Everyone frowned. What did _that_ mean?

**'What did Pluto mean?' Hazel asked. 'Is he really my father? He said you made a wish –'**

**'Go to your room!' her mother shouted. 'Pack!'**

"Harsh…" Rachel muttered.

**Hazel fled, and suddenly she was ripped out of the past.**

**Nico was shaking her shoulders. 'You did it again.'**

"How often does it happen?" Annabeth asked Nico.

"A lot." He replied.

**Hazel blinked. They were still sitting on the roof of Pluto's shrine. The sun was lower in the sky. More diamonds had surfaced around her, and her eyes stung from crying.**

Everyone looked uncomfortable and Nico was trying really hard not to stand up and scream at everyone and everything.

**'S-sorry,' she murmured.**

"Don't be." Jason said annoyed.

**'Don't be,' Nico said. 'Where were you?'**

**'My mother's apartment. The day we moved.'**

**Nico nodded. He understood her history better than most people could. He was also a kid from the 1940s. He'd been born only a few years after Hazel, and had been locked away in a magic hotel for decades. **

"Such a coincidence you've found each other." Piper said thoughtfully.

**But Hazel's past was much worse than Nico's. She'd caused so much damage and misery …**

Now, everyone was confused. Except Nico, of course.

**'You have to work on controlling those memories,' Nico warned. 'If a flashback like that happens when you're in combat –'**

A few people shuddered.

**'I know,' she said. 'I'm trying.'**

**Nico squeezed her hand. 'It's okay. I think it's a side effect from … you know, your time in the Underworld. Hopefully it'll get easier.'**

**Hazel wasn't so sure. After eight months, the blackouts seemed to be getting worse, as if her soul were attempting to live in two different time periods at once. No one had ever come back from the dead before – at least, not the way she had. Nico was trying to reassure her, but neither of them knew what would happen.**

"She died?" Piper gasped.

Nico nodded.

**'I can't go north again,' Hazel said. 'Nico, if I have to go back to where it happened –'**

"What happened?" Someone asked.

"Shut up, and we'll find out." Another voice replied.

"Hmph."

**'You'll be fine,' he promised. 'You'll have friends this time. Percy Jackson – he's got a role to play in this. You can sense that, can't you? He's a good person to have at your side.'**

Everyone nodded. Most of them had seen him in combat.

**Hazel remembered what Pluto told her long ago: A descendant of Neptune will wash away your curse and give you peace.**

**Was Percy the one? **

"Déjà vu anyone?" Grover said teasingly and Annabeth shoved him lightly with a grin.

"Shut up,"

"What?" Thalia questioned, they shook their heads in unison.

**Maybe, but Hazel sensed it wouldn't be so easy. She wasn't sure even Percy could survive what was waiting in the north.**

Annabeth gripped the edges of her bench and everyone looked worried and scared.

**'Where did he come from?' she asked. 'Why do the ghosts call him the Greek?'**

"Hmm, because he's Greek?" Thalia said sarcastically.

**Before Nico could respond, horns blew across the river. The legionnaires were gathering for evening muster.**

**'We'd better get down there,' Nico said. 'I have a feeling tonight's war games are going to be interesting.'**

"War games?" A Ares kid said happily.

"YEAH! SOME ACTION!" Another replied.

"WAR! WAR! BLOOD BATH!" They chanted, cheering while everyone snorted and tried to not wince under their loud voices.

* * *

**I posted! Yeah! *cheer*. Wow, this is a really big heavy load of my chest. I was so scared you guys would get mad I wasn't posting fast enough! So two things, **

**1) I will never EVER post on Tuesdays...ever...never. So don't even expect anything on that day. **

**2) Since I have school and now more things to do (clubs, sports) I will be posting slowly. Never longer than a week though! Unless I'm sick or something. So from now on you're going to have to wait 5-7 days for a chapter no longer four chapters a week. Sorry. And please, no 'POST!' and 'UPDATE!' comments. I appreciate and am pleased you guys can't wait but I like to take my time on the chapters and don't like being rushed. Plus my chapters are TERRIBLE when I'm rushed.**

**Sorry.**

**Good, _serious_ part over. :)**

* * *

_Guest- Yeah I guess it crossed his mind:)_**  
**

_Lalagee- I'm honored._

_IamNyssaDaughterofHephaestus - Can't remember. Sorry.  
_

* * *

**THANK YOU ALL FOR FOLLOWING AND FAVORITING (Is that a word?) AND REVIEWING!**

**I know this chapter sucked. Please forgive. But the next chapter is War Games...and that's going to be interesting as Nico has gladly pointed out for us:) And I've already started on the next chapter, so many things to write! **

**-BB247**

**P.S. 23 MORE DAYS EVERYONE! Anyone else counting down? My friends are already getting annoyed.**


	7. ARGH! And a Bit from Camp

**ARGH! This has been reported. I don't know if I can post anymore. ARGH! ME ANGRY!**

**Okay so I'll try to figure something out. Cause being reported wasn't my idea and if there are like 30 Fanfictions of people doing 'Reading Percy Jackson' than I should be able to do that too! Right? Whatever, I'll tell you if I HAVE (have) to discontinue this. Otherwise I'll keep continuing *Wince* **

**Okay move on try not to worry, I am doing enough of that**

**also a little piece that I wanted to put before the next chapter (I hope I can post that chapter) **

* * *

Annabeth took the book from Piper and opened her mouth to read when Juniper interrupted.

"Wait a minute; you guys are dyslexia, so how can you read this book?"

"You just realized that we could read this?" Thalia rose an eyebrow.

"Sorry," Juniper blushes, or well however a tree could blush.

"It's in Greek." Piper informed her and Jason looked pouty.

"So then how could I read?"

"It must be magical. So when a Roman reads it, it's Latin and when we read it, it's Greek." Annabeth answered.

"Oh."

"Okay back to reading!" Leo said brightly.

* * *

**Okay no responds to reviews since this isn't technically a chapter. Again I hope I can post I'll figure somethings out like I said before people are doing these types of fanfictions and some have finished theirs and not lost their accounts. So I'm really confused on what to do but I will figure something out and try to post. (I hope). **

**-BB247**

**I'll post soon, unless I can't then I'll tell you guys if I'm discontinuing this because of my story being reported. **


	8. Hazel

**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own PJO or Camp Half-Blood, or Heroes of Olympus...Rick Riordan does! NOT ME!**

**Song of this chapter: Milk and Honey by Beatsteak (Listen to it while reading it manages to pump me up so I think it'll pump you up to, but you don't have to)**

**Enjoy:) **

* * *

Annabeth took the book from Piper and opened her mouth to read when Juniper interrupted.

"Wait a minute; you guys are dyslexia, so how can you read this book?"

"You just realized that we could read this?" Thalia rose an eyebrow.

"Sorry," Juniper blushes, or well however a tree could blush.

"It's in Greek." Piper informed her and Jason looked pouty.

"So then how could I read?"

"It must be magical. So when a Roman reads it, it's Latin and when we read it, it's Greek." Annabeth answered.

"Oh."

"Okay back to reading!" Leo said brightly.

**ON THE WAY BACK, HAZEL TRIPPED OVER A GOLD BAR.**

"Of chocolate?" Connor gasped.

**She should have known not to run so fast, but she was afraid of being late for muster. The Fifth Cohort had the nicest centurions in camp.**

Jason nodded smugly.

** Still, even they would have to punish her if she was tardy. **

"You guys are super tough." Thalia raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, the Stolls would never survive." Jason said. The campers chuckled and the Stolls pouted.

**Roman punishments were harsh: scrubbing the streets with a toothbrush, **

"EW!" The Aphrodite cabin screeched.

**cleaning the bull pens at the coliseum, getting sewn inside a sack full of angry weasels and dumped into the Little Tiber – the options were not great.**

The campers nodded together. Jason shuddered, "I think the angry weasels are the worse, you get little scratches _every_where."

**The gold bar popped out of the ground just in time for her foot to hit it. Nico tried to catch her, but she took a spill and scraped her hands.**

Piper winced.

**'You okay?' Nico knelt next to her and reached for the bar of gold.**

**'Don't!' Hazel warned.**

"Nico! Shouldn't you know this?" Katie scolded.

"Sorry mother."

"NICO!"

**Nico froze. 'Right. Sorry. It's just … jeez. That thing is huge.' He pulled a flask of nectar from his aviator jacket and poured a little on Hazel's hands. Immediately the cuts started to heal. 'Can you stand?'**

"She fell on her knees, she didn't break a leg." Clarisse rolled her eyes.

"Yeah but Nico would." Mark snickered (son of Ares).

**He helped her up. They both stared at the gold. It was the size of a bread loaf, stamped with a serial number and the words U.S. TREASURY.**

"HAZEL STOLE!" Travis screamed.

"Look who's talking!" Annabeth said.

"Oh. Yeah, but I have the right to since my father is Hermes."

"Oh shut up."

**Nico shook his head. 'How in Tartarus – ?'**

"Don't swear!" Leo covered his ears.

**'I don't know,' Hazel said miserably. 'It could've been buried there by robbers or dropped off a wagon a hundred years ago. Maybe it migrated from the nearest bank vault. Whatever's in the ground, anywhere close to me – it just pops up. And the more valuable it is –'**

**'The more dangerous it is.' Nico frowned. 'Should we cover it up? If the fauns find it …'**

"How is that bad?" Grover said indignantly.

"Grover, they'd get hurt." Thalia sighed.

"Oh yeah, okay I forgive you Nico."

"I never apologized."

"Fine then! Don't take forgiveness!"

**Hazel imagined a mushroom**

Annabeth laughed, "Percy made a lot of mushroom references."

"Yeah." Grover laughed as well.

** cloud billowing up from the road, char-broiled fauns tossed in every direction. It was too horrible to consider. 'It should sink back underground after I leave, eventually, but just to be sure …'**

**She'd been practicing this trick, but never with something so heavy and dense. She pointed at the gold bar and tried to concentrate.**

"She wouldn't be able to concentrate with my presence." Leo huffed, sticking out his chest.

"Excuse me?" Nico growled.

"It's just that, I'm so gorgeous!" Leo exclaimed cowering behind Piper.

"In your dreams repair boy." Piper laughed.

**The gold levitated. She channeled her anger, which wasn't hard – she hated that gold,**

"Whoa! No need to hate gold! Just hate _your_ gold!" Travis said shaking his head. Katie smacked him.

** she hated her curse, she hated thinking about her past and all the ways she'd failed. Her fingers tingled. The gold bar glowed with heat.**

**Nico gulped. 'Um, Hazel, are you sure … ?'**

"Don't underestimate her." Annabeth warned.

"I didn't!" Nico said, "I just didn't know what she was doing."

**She made a fist. **

**"**Oooh! Nico you got her angry!" Connor said cackling.

**The gold bent like putty. **

"SWEET!" The Ares cabin roared.

**Hazel forced it to twist into a giant, lumpy ring.**

"PRETTY!" Roared the Aphrodite cabin.

** Then she flicked her hand towards the ground.**

**"**WHAT?" The Hermes cabin screamed.

"That's like a billion dollars DOWN THE DRAIN!" Connor exclaimed.

"I believe it's the _ground_." Piper corrected.

** Her million-dollar doughnut slammed into the earth. It sank so deep, nothing was left but a scar of fresh dirt.**

**"**That's pretty sick." Thalia said impressed.

**Nico's eyes widened. 'That was … terrifying.'**

"Wimp." Clarisse muttered.

**Hazel didn't think it was so impressive compared to the powers of a guy who could reanimate skeletons and bring people back from the dead, but it felt good to surprise him for a change.**

"No it's better." Thalia said.

"Hey!" Nico complained.

"Sorry, your sister is just so much cooler than you."

**Inside the camp, horns blew again. The cohorts would be starting roll call, and Hazel had no desire to be sewn into a sack of weasels.**

"They must be really bad." Annabeth said.

"They are." Jason said shuddering.

**'Hurry!' she told Nico, and they ran for the gates.**

"They're trying to escape?" Connor gasped.

"No you idiot!" Katie smacked her forehead.

"No need to swear." Leo sang.

"Or hit yourself…are you emo?" Travis asked warily.

"That doesn't make her emo!" Nico grumbled.

"Of course it wouldn't be and you would know because you are emo, and she's not." Thalia rolled her eyes,

"I'M NOT EMO!"

"Keep telling yourself that."

**The first time Hazel had seen the legion assemble, she'd been so intimidated she'd almost slunk back to the barracks to hide.**

**"**Wimp." Clarisse muttered.

** Even after being at camp for nine months, she still found it an impressive sight.**

"Then why would you hide?" Will asked confused.

**The first four cohorts, each forty kids strong, stood in rows in front of their barracks on either side of the Via Praetoria. The Fifth Cohort assembled at the very end, in front of the principia, since their barracks were tucked in the back corner of camp next to the stables and the latrines. **

Jason crossed his arms and scowled. His cohort was still being treated like this?

**Hazel had to run right down the middle of the legion to reach her place.**

**The campers were dressed for war. **

Ares cabin perked up.

**Their polished chain mail and greaves gleamed over purple T-shirts and jeans. Sword-and-skull designs decorated their helmets. Even their leather combat boots looked ferocious with their iron cleats, great for marching through mud or stomping on faces**

"That's so cool!" Mark cheered along with his cabin. (Ares)

**In front of the legionnaires, like a line of giant dominoes, stood their red and gold shields, each the size of a refrigerator door.**

Some boys drooled.

"Why are you drooling?" Rachel demanded. "Food wasn't even mentioned."

"Because refrigerators have food!" Leo said.

** Every legionnaire carried a harpoon like spear called a pilum, a gladius, a dagger and about a hundred pounds of other equipment. If you were out of shape when you came to the legion, you didn't stay that way for long. Just walking around in your armour was a full-body workout.**

"I hate exercising." Travis moaned.

"You're not exercising!" Katie pointed out.

"I know, but hearing about it, is just as bad."

**Hazel and Nico jogged down the street as everyone was coming to attention, so their entrance was really obvious. **

"Awkward." Rachel whispered.

**Their footsteps echoed on the stones.**

"Double awkward." Will murmured back.

** Hazel tried to avoid eye contact, but she caught Octavian at the head of the First Cohort smirking at her, looking smug in his plumed centurion's helmet with a dozen medals pinned on his chest.**

Nico growled.

**Hazel was still seething from his blackmail threats earlier. Stupid**

"BAD WORD!" Leo yelled out covering his ears.

"What is wrong with you?" Piper exclaimed.

"Nothing!"

"I think the fumes are getting to your head." Jason informed him.

** augur and his gift of prophecy – of all the people at camp to discover her secrets, why did it have to be him? **

"I know right?" Jason agreed.

**She was sure he would have told on her weeks ago, except that he knew her secrets were worth more to him as leverage.**

"Her curse?" Annabeth asked Nico.

Nico shook his head grimly.

"He's blackmailing her!" Jason said angrily.

** She wished she'd kept that bar of gold so she could hit him in the face with it.**

The camp nodded in agreement.

**She ran past Reyna, who was cantering back and forth on her pegasus Scipio – nicknamed Skippy because he was the color of peanut butter. **

Cue drooling.

"Tyson loves peanut butter." Annabeth said wistfully. She wished she was with him. Searching for Percy.

"Wasn't that his battle cry?" Thalia said.

"Yeah." Grover laughed.

**The metal dogs Aurum and Argentum trotted at her side. Her purple officer's cape billowed behind her.**

**'Hazel Levesque,' she called, 'so glad you could join us.'**

"Triple awkward." Rachel muttered.

**Hazel knew better than to respond.**

"I bet Percy would retort something stupid." Annabeth said.

"Yeah, he's done that with the gods plenty of times." Thalia agreed.

** She was missing most of her equipment, but she hurried to her place in line next to Frank and stood at attention. Their lead centurion, a big seventeen-year-old guy named Dakota, was just calling her name – the last one on the roll.**

"I know him!" Jason said suddenly.

"Dakota?" Nico asked.

"Yeah, he's always drunk on Kool aid."

The campers snickered.

**'Present!' she squeaked.**

"Like a mouse?" Juniper frowned.

"I guess." Grover replied.

**Thank the gods. Technically, she wasn't late.**

**Nico joined Percy Jackson, who was standing off to one side with a couple of guards. Percy's hair was wet from the baths. He'd put on fresh clothes, but he still looked uncomfortable. **

"That's because you belong to us!" A camper yelled out. And everyone murmured in agreement, at least the campers who knew him.

"You people are possessive." Jason muttered.

**Hazel couldn't blame him. He was about to be introduced to two hundred heavily armed kids.**

"I don't think he's nervous." Rachel laughed.

"Probably wishing he could be in the baths." Nico agreed smiling.

**The Lares were the last ones to fall in. Their purple forms flickered as they jockeyed for places. They had an annoying habit of standing halfway inside living people, so that the ranks looked like a blurry photograph, but finally the centurions got them sorted out.**

**"**Must be horrible." Katie shuddered.

**Octavian shouted, 'Colors!'**

"What?"

"Is there supposed to be a rainbow?"

"No…"

"That's so racist!"

"No!"

"He has issues."

"SHUT UP!" Annabeth yelled. "I doubt that's what he means!"

"Oh…"

**The standard-bearers stepped forward. They wore lion-skin capes and held poles decorated with each cohort's emblems. The last to present his standard was Jacob, the legion's eagle bearer. He held a long pole with absolutely nothing on top. The job was supposed to be a big honor, but Jacob obviously hated it. Even though Reyna insisted on following tradition, every time the eagleless pole was raised, Hazel could feel embarrassment rippling through the legion.**

Jason muttered under his breath and Nico said, "It's not your fault."

"What are you guys talking about?" Annabeth demanded.

"Nothing." Jason said quickly, though he hated to admit it, he was embarrassed too.

**Reyna brought her pegasus to a halt.**

**'Romans!' she announced.**

"GREEKS!" Connor imitated.

** 'You've probably heard about the incursion today. Two gorgons were swept into the river by this newcomer, Percy Jackson. **

Cue camp cheer.

**Juno herself guided him here, and proclaimed him a son of Neptune.'**

"POSEIDON!" The camp roared.

**The kids in the back rows craned their necks to see Percy. He raised his hand and said, 'Hi.'**

Everyone chuckled. "He's so awkward." Annabeth groaned.

"He has a way with words." Thalia laughed.

**'He seeks to join the legion,' Reyna continued. 'What do the auguries say?'**

"YES!" The camp cheered.

**'I have read the entrails!' Octavian announced, as if he'd killed a lion with his bare hands rather than ripping up a stuffed panda pillow. **

"Which I still think is pretty cruel." Clovis commented.

**'The auguries are favorable. He is qualified to serve!'**

Cue another, louder, camp cheering.

**The campers gave a shout: 'Ave!' Hail!**

**Frank was a little late with his 'ave', so it came out as a high-pitched echo. The other legionnaires snickered.**

The campers joined in.

**Reyna motioned the senior officers forward – one from each cohort. Octavian, as the most senior centurion, turned to Percy.**

**'Recruit,' he asked, 'do you have credentials? Letters of reference?'**

"Are you kidding?" Jason exclaimed.

"What?" Annabeth frowned.

"He's asking for letters of reference, like he has family in Camp Jupiter!"

"We're his family!" Grover stated and everyone nodded agreeing.

**Hazel remembered this from her own arrival. A lot of kids brought letters from older demigods in the outside world, adults who were veterans of the camp. Some recruits had rich and famous sponsors. Some were third- or fourth-generation campers. A good letter could get you a position in the better cohorts, sometimes even special jobs like legion messenger, which made you exempt from the grunt work like digging ditches or conjugating Latin verbs.**

"That's so complicated!" Leo groaned.

"No it isn't"

**Percy shifted. 'Letters? Um, no.'**

"No duh Percy." Will rolled his eyes.

**Octavian wrinkled his nose.**

"He's so judgmental." Katie huffed.

**Unfair! Hazel wanted to shout. **

"She's right!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"UNFAIR!" The Stolls shouted.

**Percy had carried a goddess into camp. **

"Not a particularly good one." Annabeth mumbled and thunder roared in the distance.

"YOU BROKE THALIA'S LEG!" Annabeth yelled back at the sky. Silence.

**What better recommendation could you want? But Octavian's family had been sending kids to camp for over a century. He loved reminding recruits that they were less important than he was.**

"He's a loser _and_ a wimp." Clarisse said.

"Yup." Grover agreed.

**'No letters,' Octavian said regretfully. 'Will any legionnaires stand for him?'**

"I've decided that I don't like him." Juniper huffed.

"Good girl." Grover grinned. Juniper punched him, "Ouch…"

**'I will!' Frank stepped forward. 'He saved my life!'**

"YAY FRANK!" The camp yelled.

**Immediately there were shouts of protest from the other cohorts. Reyna raised her hand for quiet and glared at Frank.**

"What'd he do?" Thalia asked Nico.

**'Frank Zhang,' she said, 'for the second time today, I remind you that you are on probatio. Your godly parent has not even claimed you yet. You're not eligible to stand for another camper until you've earned your first stripe.'**

"Well, that's just rude." Rachel said.

**Frank looked like he might die of embarrassment.**

"I would." Piper said.

**Hazel couldn't leave him hanging. She stepped out of line and said, 'What Frank means is that Percy saved both our lives. I am a full member of the legion. I will stand for Percy Jackson.'**

"YAY HAZEL!" The camp roared.

**Frank glanced at her gratefully, but the other campers started to mutter. Hazel was barely eligible. She'd only got her stripe a few weeks ago, and the 'act of velour' that earned it for her had been mostly an accident. Besides, she was a daughter of Pluto, and a member of the disgraced Fifth Cohort. She wasn't doing Percy much of a favour by giving him her support.**

"No you are." Annabeth reassured.

"She's not here." Nico pointed out.

"Why don't you bring her here?" Annabeth challenged.

"Okay!" And with that Nico shadow traveled out of the camp. The camp stared stupidly at where he'd been before carrying on.

**Reyna wrinkled her nose, but she turned to Octavian. The augur smiled and shrugged, like the idea amused him.**

**Why not? Hazel thought. Putting Percy in the Fifth would make him less of a threat, and Octavian liked to keep all his enemies in one place.**

**'Very well,' Reyna announced. 'Hazel Levesque, you may stand for the recruit. Does your cohort accept him?'**

**The other cohorts started coughing, trying not to laugh. Hazel knew what they were thinking: Another loser for the Fifth.**

"HEY!" Jason exclaimed. "I'm not a loser!"

"Sure you aren't." Leo said sarcastically.

SMACK!

"OW!" Leo yelled rubbing his cheek. "I was joking!"

"Whatever."

**Frank pounded his shield against the ground. The other members of the Fifth followed his lead, though they didn't seem very excited. Their centurions, Dakota and Gwen, exchanged pained looks, like: Here we go again.**

**'My cohort has spoken,' Dakota said. 'We accept the recruit.'**

"They're going to be so shocked when Percy's all like POW and BAM!" Travis laughed.

"You show 'im Perce!" Connor shouted.

**Reyna looked at Percy with pity. **

"5th Cohort is the best Cohort ever!" Jason said annoyed at Reyna.

**'Congratulations, Percy Jackson. You stand on probation. You will be given a tablet with your name and cohort. In one year's time, or as soon as you complete an act of valour, you will become a full member of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata. Serve Rome, obey the rules of the legion and defend the camp with honour. Senatus Populusque Romanus!'**

**The rest of the legion echoed the cheer.**

"Rome is so complicated." Travis said.

"Yeah, here we're just like 'Hey, go to that cabin and eat when it's dinner time, good luck'." Connor said nodding.

**Reyna wheeled her pegasus away from Percy, like she was glad to be done with him. Skippy spread his beautiful wings. Hazel couldn't help feeling a pang of envy. She'd give anything for a horse like that, but it would never happen. Horses were for officers only, or barbarian cavalry, not for Roman legionnaires.**

"Oh, Percy won't like that." Annabeth grinned.

**'Centurions,' Reyna said, 'you and your troops have one hour for dinner. Then we will meet on the Field of Mars. The First and Second Cohorts will defend. The Third, Fourth and Fifth will attack. Good fortune!'**

"YAY SOME ACTION!" Clarisse cheered along with her cabin mates.

**A bigger cheer went up – for the war games and for dinner. The cohorts broke ranks and ran for the mess hall.**

**Hazel waved at Percy, who made his way through the crowd with Nico at his side. To Hazel's surprise, Nico was beaming at her.**

"Wow, Nico's a good relative for once." Thalia said surprised.

"I think he's only mean to you Thals." Jason said.

"That's because I'm so awesome and he's jealous."

**'Good job, Sis,' he said. 'That took guts, standing for him.'**

"She shouldn't regret it." Grover said.

**He had never called her Sis before. She wondered if that was what he had called Bianca.**

Everyone fell silent.

**One of the guards had given Percy his probatio nameplate. Percy strung it on his leather necklace with the strange beads.**

"They're not strange!" Some kids in the back said.

**'Thanks, Hazel,' he said. 'Um, what exactly does it mean – your standing for me?'**

**'I guarantee your good behaviour,' Hazel explained. 'I teach you the rules, answer your questions, make sure you don't disgrace the legion.'**

"Ha-ha Percy won't disgrace the legion." Katie laughed.

**'And … if I do something wrong?'**

**'Then I get killed along with you,' Hazel said. 'Hungry? Let's eat.'**

"WHAT?" Annabeth screamed.

"It rarely happens Annabeth don't worry." Jason said.

They were about to start the second chapter when suddenly Nico was back, with a shorter dark skinned girl.

"Everyone, this is Hazel."

* * *

**Yeah I lied. This was kind of a 'spur of the moment' thing. And I shall add Frank when the time comes. Just a question...Frank was at camp for how long before Percy came? Anyone know? I think he's at Camp Jupiter during this I mean it's like what 5 days before the book happens.**

**YAY! I left you hanging! Be prepared for a week long wait. Yeah. I'm sorry for that. So...16 MORE DAYS AAAAH EEEP! Anyone have mixed feelings for Mark of Athena? Me and some of my friends have been counting down since last week and Gosh we are obsessive. I'm SO SCARED! I don't want to wait another year after Mark of Athena! and I know I won't be able to make the book last I'll finish it in a night! (I reserved it TEE HEE) **

**Okay enough of that. So you saw I gave you a song. I'm going to that from now on because well, I dunno. Just because. You don't have to listen to them but if you like the song please tell me!**

**I hope you liked the chapter. **

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**I'm responding to Chapter 6 reviews and Chapter 7:  
**

**-Healme13- **I don't understand.

**-EmptyXLlamas-** Okay Thanks for helping me with the gods Go situation! I might have done it again in this chapter so I'll try not to do it anymore. I PROMISE! (16 MORE DAYS!)

**-Everyone- **I KNOW! Okay so first off. yes Hitler was Hades son, sorry my mistake. I was reading over some of the PJO books and I saw that, ironically it happened to be a day after I posted thsi chapter so I was just really mad at myself.

Second off- I dunno if I should keep posting or not with this whole 'You've been reported' situation. And I don't like stopping fanfictions, like I hate it plus this is getting so much feedback I'd hate to stop. So I'm...not (wince) DONT HATE ME RICK RIORDAN I LOVE YOU AND I KNOW YOU OWN THIS ENTIRE SERIES! 

* * *

**Okay I'll post next Sunday because my days are getting busier and busier. forgive my little ending. **

**Don't forget to review! I love getting feedback positive or not!**

**Favorite and Follow!**

**-BB247**


	9. Chapter 9 (Part UNO)

**Sorry about the delayed post! I know this is very short. It's not the entire chapter I'm so sorry.**

**DISCLAIMER: Me no own:)**

Song**: King and the Lionheart by Of Monsters and Men**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hi." Hazel said uncertainly. She wasn't really sure what was going on. Nico just popped up out of nowhere and asked her to come with her. The next thing she knew, she was near a fire with several other kids, all around her age sitting and staring at her. One blonde girl was holding a book and glaring at Nico. Who were these people?

"Hi." A pretty girl with choppy hair said smiling, "You must be very confused, did Nico explain anything?" She glared at Nico, who shrugged and replied,

"Didn't have much time."

"Hazel, I'm so sorry your brother is Nico," Another girl with punk styled hair said seriously.

"Um, not to be rude, but who are you guys?" Hazel asked.

"Hazel, this is Camp Half-Blood." Jason said smiling. Hazel gaped. Jason!

"Jason!" She screeched. And Jason's smile grew; it felt good to see another Roman again. She recognized the armor and purple shirt underneath. He jumped up and strode over to her holding out his arms and she ran into them. "Where have you been?"

"Here and there." He replied vagely.

"You idiot! Do you know how worried everyone is? Reyna's ready to kill you and Octavian is already getting ready to become praetor!"

"That dunkleberry." Someone muttered. Hazel pulled back a grin on her face. She then, realized everyone was staring and turned to Nico with a frown. "What is this place again?"

"Camp half-Blood." The girl with choppy hair spoke up again smiling, "Sorry, I'm being rude. I'm Piper. I know this is going to be a lot to take in but—"

"We're Greek demi-gods! You see Romans aren't the only ones in United States." A mischievous looking boy with brown hair interrupted grinning. Next to him sat a identical looking boy, also grinning.

"Connor!" The blonde girl said annoyed, "Why can't you shut your mouth for once!"

"Sorry."

"I'm Annabeth." The blonde girl said facing Hazel with a slight sad smile. Her eyes were grey, stormy and sad, like she had a lot going on and didn't know what to do.

"I'm Leo!" Another curly haired boy said. Hazel gasped. Sammy? No, no it was Leo. That's why he said. They looked so alike. Leo shifted under Hazel's gaze, did he have something in his teeth?

"Um, I know I'm gorgeous, but…" He didn't finish like he usually would Hazel was full out staring at him. Nico touched her arm and she jumped. She shook her head and said to Leo, "I'm sorry. You remind of someone."

"Oh," Leo smirked. "A famous actor of some sort?"

"Don't flatter yourself." Thalia snapped.

"Because you want to huh?" Leo wriggled his eyebrows. _They're so alike_, Hazel thought in a daze.

"Sit." Nico ordered. And Hazel sat. For the next ten minutes the camp explained everything to her. It was all so different. People shouted out, laughed, argued, there was no order, no rules. Annabeth seemed to be the leader which was good, because if Connor or Travis were in charge Camp Half-Blood would be a mess. They brought her up to speed with the book, who Percy was, how she was in the book, how Greeks existed. It all seemed too much to take in for Hazel. And to top it all off they knew her secret. Her curse. At least there weren't any pity faces. She hated those.

Now she was sitting next to Piper waiting for Annabeth to find the page where they'd left off. After a second she found it, told everyone to shut it and began to read,

**Hazel**

Hazel immediately groaned. "Really my point of view again!"

Piper laughed.

**AT LEAST THE CAMP FOOD WAS GOOD. **

The boys started to drool.

**Invisible wind spirits – aurae – waited on the campers and seemed to know exactly what everyone wanted.**

**"**Chiron!" Travis said in a superior voice snapping his fingers while sitting up straight, "I _want_ those now!"

** They blew plates and cups around so quickly the mess hall looked like a delicious hurricane. If you got up too fast, you were likely to get beaned by beans or potted by a pot roast.**

"Pot roast," Leo mumbled with a slight groan. Piper rolled her eyes, _boys_.

**Hazel got shrimp gumbo – her favourite comfort food. It made her think about being a little girl in New Orleans, before her curse set in and her mom got so bitter.**

Hazel shifted uncomfortably.

** Percy got a cheeseburger and a strange-looking soda that was bright blue. **

The campers who knew Percy all smiled fondly.

**Hazel didn't understand that, but Percy tried it and grinned.**

**'This makes me happy,' he said. 'I don't know why … but it does.'**

Most of the campers looked sad for a moment. Annabeth sniffed. Grover did too.

**Just for a moment, one of the aurae became visible – an elfin girl in a white silk dress. She giggled as she topped off Percy's glass, then disappeared in a gust.**

Annabeth fumed and Thalia laughed, "It's Rachel all over again."

"Hey!" Rachel protested.

**The mess hall seemed especially noisy tonight. Laughter echoed off the walls. War banners rustled from cedar ceiling beams as aurae blew back and forth, keeping everyone's plates full. The campers dined Roman style, sitting on couches around low tables. Kids were constantly getting up and trading places, spreading rumours about who liked whom and all the other gossip.**

"So the Romans aren't so strict huh?" Drew drawled, "Good thing they can gossip."

**As usual, the Fifth Cohort took the place of least honor. Their tables were at the back of the dining hall next to the kitchen. Hazel's table was always the least crowded. Tonight it was she and Frank, as usual, with Percy and Nico and their centurion Dakota, who sat there, Hazel figured, because he felt obligated to welcome the new recruit.**

Hazel nodded and Jason frowned.

**Dakota reclined glumly on his couch, mixing sugar into his drink and chugging it. He was a beefy guy with curly black hair and eyes that didn't quite line up straight, so Hazel felt like the world was leaning whenever she looked at him. It wasn't a good sign that he was drinking so much so early in the night.**

**'So.' He burped, waving his goblet. 'Welcome to the Percy, party.' He frowned. 'Party, Percy. Whatever.'**

Everyone chuckled. "He rivals with Dionysius."

Thunder shook the camp.

"Okay, okay!" Nico held his hands up.

**'Um, thanks,' Percy said, but his attention was focused on Nico. 'I was wondering if we could talk, you know … about where I might have seen you before.'**

Cue glowering glares.

**'Sure,' Nico said a little too quickly. 'The thing is, I spend most of my time in the Underworld. So unless I met you there somehow –'**

"LIAR!" The camp excluding Jason and Hazel roared.

**Dakota belched. 'Ambassador from Pluto, they call him. Reyna's never sure what to do with this guy when he visits. You should have seen her face when he showed up with Hazel, asking Reyna to take her in. Um, no offence.'**

**'None taken.' Nico seemed relieved to change the topic. **

Cue _another_ bunch of glowering glares.

**'Dakota was really helpful, standing for Hazel.'**

**Dakota blushed. 'Yeah, well … She seemed like a good kid. Turned out I was right. Last month, when she saved me from, uh, you know.'**

**'Oh, man!' Frank looked up from his fish and chips. 'Percy, you should have seen her! That's how Hazel got her stripe. The unicorns decided to stampede –'**

**'It was nothing,' Hazel said.**

"MODESTY IS NOT HONESTY!" Travis yelled.

"Made that up just now didn't you?" Thalia said wryly.

"Yup!" Travis grinned.

**'Nothing?' Frank protested. 'Dakota would've been trampled! You stood right in front of them, shooed them away, saved his hide. **

Maclom started cracking up. Thalia shot him a look and he said "What? It's funny!"

Blank looks.

"UGH! Saved his _hide_! Unicorns almost _trampled_ him! HIDE!"

"Oh," Connor said.

"That's not funny." Katie rolled her eyes,

**I've never seen anything like it.'**

**Hazel bit her lip. She didn't like to talk about it, and she felt uncomfortable, the way Frank made her sound like a hero.**

"Which you are." Jason said stubbornly, Hazel smiled.

** In truth, she'd been mostly afraid that the unicorns would hurt themselves in their panic.**

Nico snorted. "Dakota will love that."

** Their horns were precious metal – silver and gold – so she'd managed to turn them aside simply by concentrating, steering the animals by their horns and guiding them back to the stables. **

"CHEATER!" The Stolls yelled.

Hazel looked at Piper doubtfully, "Do they always do that?"

"Yeah, you should see them during a sugar rush."

Hazel shuddered.

* * *

**Sorry again about the late post. I got distracted and uper busy. I'm really sorry. I know this is short. I knew I wouldn't be able to finish this chapter tonight. And I didn't want to be a week late. So I thought I'll do a Part one. So here it is. Yes it's short. **

**YES I LIED.**

**I said this was just going to be a Camp Half-Blood thing...changed my mind! (P.S. Franks's going to be joining soon...)**

**So I hope you enjoyed my poop short chapter I'll post Sunday.**

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**TO EVERYONE: I know! I know, i know, i know, i know.. HITLER IS HADES SON! I got it...guys I love you guys for correcting me but one person pointing out is enough. Sorry I'm not naming anyone, I like how you guys are taking the time to read my chapters. But seriously I got it. I made a HUGE mistake. And I hate myself for it. Sorry. But please I know. **

**Also: ANYONE EXCITED?! 6 MORE FREAKING DAYS! I'm both scared and excited. SERIOUSLY! IT"S ALMOST HERE OMG OMG OMG! AAAAAAAAAAH LESS THAN A WEEK! 6 MORE DAYS! ONE MORE WEEKEND! **

**I'm annoying all my friends (who aren't obsessed, book reading people like me) with my excitement. gosh I'm so happy...YEAH! In case you didn't notice I'm grinning right now, and like almost every two minutes I twitch because I realize ONCE AGAIN that Mark of Athena is coming out soon Anyone agree?**

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**Okay that's it for now. **

**I'll post Sunday.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites!**

**Please comment!**

**-BB247**


	10. Chapter 9 (Part DEUCE)

**Hi! Sorry I haven't posted in a while I feel like a jerk! **

**Disclaimer: ME NO OWN (but the books are on my shelves...) ME NO WRITE THESE BOOKS!**

**Enjoy:)**

**Song of the chapter: Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons**

* * *

**It had got her a full place in the legion, but it had also started rumors about her strange powers – rumors that reminded her of the bad old days.**

Nico growled.

**Percy studied her. Those sea-green eyes made her unsettled.**

"Especially when he glares." Travis shuddered. Anyone else in camp that had received Percy's death glare shuddered as well.

**'Did you and Nico grow up together?' he asked.**

"Nope, I was stuck in a hotel for 75 years." Nico muttered.

"You know what's funny," Hazel started. "You were born in the same time period as me only you were locked in a hotel and I came back to life."

Nico grinned, "Hades' kids are really messed up huh?"

"You can say that again." Thalia mumbled.

**'No,' Nico answered for her. 'I found out that Hazel was my sister only recently. She's from New Orleans.'**

"Not to mention last century." Leo said to himself. He couldn't stop glancing at Hazel, she unsettled him.

**That was true, of course, but not the whole truth. Nico let people think he'd stumbled upon her in modern New Orleans and brought her to camp. It was easier than telling the real story.**

Hazel and Nico nodded in unison.

**Hazel had tried to pass herself off as a modern kid. It wasn't easy. Thankfully, demigods didn't use a lot of technology at camp. **

"Wait; do you know what spray paint is?" Connor burst out incredulous.

"Spray paint?" Hazel questioned. **(a/n: Not sure if spray paint was invented back then)**

The Stolls gasped and fell out of their chairs dramatically. Everyone rolled their eyes and Hazel blushed.

**Their powers tended to make electronic gadgets go haywire. But the first time she went on furlough to Berkeley, she had nearly had a stroke. Televisions, computers, iPods, the Internet … It made her glad to get back to the world of ghosts, unicorns and gods. That seemed much less of a fantasy than the twenty-first century.**

"I can't believe you don't know what the internet is!" Leo exclaimed. Hazel shrugged.

**Nico was still talking about the children of Pluto. 'There aren't many of us,' he said, 'so we have to stick together. When I found Hazel –'**

**'You have other sisters?' Percy asked, almost as if he knew the answer. **

Cue glaring stares at Nico. "I said I was sorry!" He exclaimed annoyed.

**Hazel wondered again when he and Nico had met, and what her brother was hiding.**

"DON'T EVEN SAY IT!" Nico yelled out glowering at everyone who opened their mouths.

**'One,' Nico admitted. 'But she died. I saw her spirit a few times in the Underworld, except that the last time I went down there …'**

Everyone's head lowered. It was very uncomfortable when talking about deaths.

**To bring her back, Hazel thought, though Nico didn't say that.**

Nico shivered and Hazel went over to sit beside him. She put a arm around his shoulders and he smiled gratefully.

**'She was gone.' Nico's voice turned hoarse. 'She used to be in Elysium – like, the Underworld paradise – but she chose to be reborn into a new life. Now I'll never see her again. I was just lucky to find Hazel … in New Orleans, I mean.'**

The camp didn't know what to say. Annabeth couldn't stop thinking about Percy, what would happen if he died?

**Dakota grunted. 'Unless you believe the rumors. Not saying that I do.'**

**'Rumors?' Percy asked.**

"Rumors?" Leo mimed confused.

**From across the room, Don the faun yelled, 'Hazel!'**

"Not him again." Hazel grumbled.

**Hazel had never been so glad to see the faun. **

Nico snickered.

**He wasn't allowed in camp, but of course he always managed to get in. He was working his way towards their table, grinning at everybody, sneaking food off plates, and pointing at campers: 'Hey! Call me!' **

"He seems more fun than Grover." Travis muttered.

"Hey!"

**A flying pizza smacked him in the head, and he disappeared behind a couch.**

The camp laughed.

** Then he popped up, still grinning, and made his way over.**

"Not even fazed." Grover mumbled.

**'My favorite girl!' He smelled like a wet goat wrapped in old cheese. **

Juniper wrinkled her nose.

**He leaned over their couches and checked out their food. 'Say, new kid, you going to eat that?'**

**Percy frowned. 'Aren't fauns vegetarian?'**

"Thank gods he remembers that." Grover sighed.

**'Not the cheeseburger, man! The plate!' He sniffed Percy's hair. 'Hey … what's that smell?'**

**'Don!' Hazel said. 'Don't be rude.'**

A few people chuckled.

**'No, man, I just –'**

**Their house god Vitellius shimmered into existence, standing half embedded in Frank's couch. 'Fauns in the dining hall! What are we coming to? Centurion Dakota, do your duty!'**

Connor and Leo started to giggle hysterically. "Duty!" Connor burst out.

**'I am,' Dakota grumbled into his goblet. 'I'm having dinner!'**

"And that's a duty EVERYONE needs to follow." Will Solace said loudly.

**Don was still sniffing around Percy. 'Man, you've got an empathy link with a faun!'**

Grover and Annabeth straightened up in their seats.

**Percy leaned away from him. 'A what?'**

"DON'T LEAN AWAY!" Thalia screeched.

**'An empathy link! It's real faint, like somebody's suppressed it, but –'**

"Hera." Annabeth spat out.

**'I know what!' Nico stood suddenly.**

"Nico! What's your problem man?" Grover said.

** 'Hazel, how about we give you and Frank time to get Percy oriented? Dakota and I can visit the praetor's table. Don and Vitellius, you come too. We can discuss strategies for the war games.'**

The Ares cabin leaned forward in anticipation.

**'Strategies for losing?' Dakota muttered.**

"That's the spirit!" Leo said grinning.

**'Death Boy is right!' Vitellius said. 'This legion fights worse than we did in Judea, and that was the first time we lost our eagle. Why, if I were in charge –'**

"But he's not." Jason mumbled.

**'Could I just eat the silverware first?' Don asked.**

Everyone chuckled.

**'Let's go!' Nico stood and grabbed Don and Vitellius by the ears.**

"How do you grab a ghost by the ears?" Katie asked.

**Nobody but Nico could actually touch the Lares. Vitellius spluttered with outrage as he was dragged off to the praetor's table.**

"Oh." Katie said.

**'Ow!' Don protested. 'Man, watch the 'fro!'**

Annabeth snorted, "Did he seriously just sau 'fro?"

"Yeah." Piper laughed.

**'Come on, Dakota!' Nico called over his shoulder.**

**The centurion got up reluctantly. He wiped his mouth – uselessly, since it was permanently stained red. 'Back soon.' He shook all over, like a dog trying to get dry. Then he staggered away, his goblet sloshing.**

"Is he drunk?" Piper demanded. Jason smirked.

**'What was that about?' Percy asked. 'And what's wrong with Dakota?'**

**Frank sighed. 'He's okay. He's a son of Bacchus, the wine god. He's got a drinking problem.'**

**Percy's eyes widened. 'You let him drink wine?'**

Pollux snorted, "Yeah right." A few people jumped, Pollux wasn't the type of person who talked a lot.

**'Gods, no!' Hazel said. 'That would be a disaster. **

Pollux nodded in agreement.

**He's addicted to red Kool-Aid. Drinks it with three times the normal sugar, and he's already ADHD – you know, attention deficit/hyperactive. One of these days, his head is going to explode.'**

Jason nodded and Hazel cracked a grin.

**Percy looked over at the praetor's table. Most of the senior officers were in deep conversation with Reyna. Nico and his two captives, Don and Vitellius, stood on the periphery. Dakota was running back and forth along a line of stacked shields, banging his goblet on them like they were a xylophone.**

**'ADHD,' Percy said. 'You don't say.'**

Everyone laughed.

**Hazel tried not to laugh. 'Well … most demigods are. Or dyslexic. Just being a demigod means that our brains are wired differently. Like you – you said you had trouble reading.'**

"You can say that again." Thalia muttered again.

Annabeth laughed, "He's hilarious when doing homework."

**'Are you guys that way too?' Percy asked.**

**'I don't know,' Hazel admitted. 'Maybe. Back in my day, they just called kids like us "lazy".'**

"The only lazy demigods in this Camp are the children of Hypnos." Clarisse said.

A few people sniggered when Clovis yelled out, "I AM CONSERVING ENERGY!"

**Percy frowned. 'Back in your day?'**

"Busted." Grover muttered.

**Hazel cursed herself.**

"That's not very nice Hazel." Travis scolded.

**Luckily for her, Frank spoke up: 'I wish I was ADHD or dyslexic. All I got is lactose intolerance.'**

Thalia grinned.

**Percy grinned. 'Seriously?'**

**Frank might've been the silliest demigod ever, but Hazel thought he was cute when he pouted. His shoulders slumped. 'And I love ice cream, too …'**

The entire camp roared with laughter including Hazel who was beet red.

**Percy laughed. Hazel couldn't help joining in. It was good to sit at dinner and actually feel like she was among friends.**

"You are!" Jason declared. Hazel glanced around. Everyone was smiling and relaxed. It was like one giant family, constantly arguing and laughing and joking. Camp Jupiter was so big and so strict it was rare when she felt like she was part of something. Here, everyone accepted her no one was scared of her curse, no one looked at her weirdly.

**'Okay, so tell me,' Percy said, 'why is it bad to be in the Fifth Cohort? You guys are great.'**

Annabeth smiled sadly.

**The compliment made Hazel's toes tingle. 'It's … complicated. Aside from being Pluto's kid, I want to ride horses.'**

**'That's why you use a cavalry sword?'**

**She nodded. 'It's stupid, I guess. Wishful thinking. There's only one pegasus at camp – Reyna's. The unicorns are just kept for medicine, because the shavings off their horns cure poisoning and stuff. Anyway, Roman fighting is always done on foot. Cavalry … they kind of look down on that. So they look down on me.'**

Katie and Piper frowned. Lacy sighed, "Silena loved Pegasus's."

**'Their loss,' Percy said. 'What about you, Frank?'**

"I love how Percy just says that so straightforward." Thalia laughed.

**'Archery,' he muttered. 'They don't like that either, unless you're a child of Apollo. Then you've got an excuse. I hope my dad is Apollo, but I don't know. I can't do poetry very well. And I'm not sure I want to be related to Octavian.'**

"No one would want that buddy." Jason informed no one.

"Dude, you're talking to a book." Leo rolled his eyes.

**'Can't blame you,' Percy said. 'But you're excellent with the bow – the way you pegged those gorgons? Forget what other people think.'**

"Percy's way too nice." Piper said and Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia nodded.

**Frank's face turned as red as Dakota's Kool-Aid. 'Wish I could. They all think I should be a sword fighter because I'm big and bulky.' He looked down at his body, like he couldn't quite believe it was his. 'They say I'm too stocky for an archer. Maybe if my dad would ever claim me …'**

A few people glanced down sadly, they knew how Frank felt.

**They ate in silence for a few minutes. A dad who wouldn't claim you … Hazel knew that feeling. She sensed Percy could relate, too.**

**'You asked about the Fifth,' she said at last. 'Why it's the worst cohort. That actually started way before us.'**

"That's good." Juniper said.

**She pointed to the back wall, where the legion's standards were on display. 'See the empty pole in the middle?'**

"No," Travis said looking around.

**'The eagle,' Percy said.**

**Hazel was stunned. 'How'd you know?'**

"I know, it's pretty surprising he knows things without Annabeth." Thalia said.

**Percy shrugged. 'Vitellius was talking about how the legion lost its eagle a long time ago – the first time, he said. He acted like it was a huge disgrace. I'm guessing that's what's missing. And from the way you and Reyna were talking earlier, I'm guessing your eagle got lost a second time, more recently, and it had something to do with the Fifth Cohort.'**

Annabeth looked impressed, "Wow."

"You've taught him well." Nico said.

"I guess having a smart girlfriend makes you smart." Thalia said grinning at Jason who was glancing at Piper who blushed.

**Hazel made a mental note not to underestimate Percy again. **

Everyone nodded.

**When he'd first arrived, she'd thought he was a little goofy from the questions he'd asked – about the Feast for Tuna and all – but clearly he was smarter than he let on.**

"Imagine him when he was twelve." Annabeth murmured.

**'You're right,' she said. 'That's exactly what happened.'**

**'So what is this eagle, anyway? Why is it a big deal?'**

Jason opened his mouth but Nico shot him a look.

**Frank looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. 'It's the symbol of the whole camp – a big eagle made of gold. It's supposed to protect us in battle and make our enemies afraid. Each legion's eagle gave it all sorts of power, and ours came from Jupiter himself. Supposedly Julius Caesar nicknamed our legion "Fulminata" – armed with lightning – because of what the eagle could do.'**

**'I don't like lightning,' Percy said.**

"You don't say…" Thalia said sarcastically.

**'Yeah, well,' Hazel said, 'it didn't make us invincible. The Twelfth lost its eagle the first time way back in ancient days, during the Jewish Rebellion.'**

**'I think I saw a movie like that,' Percy said.**

"Of course he did." Annabeth muttered rolling her eyes.

**Hazel shrugged. 'Could be. There have been lots of books and movies about legions losing their eagles. Unfortunately it happened quite a few times. The eagle was so important … well, archaeologists have never recovered a single eagle from ancient Rome. Each legion guarded theirs to the last man, because it was charged with power from the gods. They'd rather hide it or melt it down than surrender it to an enemy. The Twelfth was lucky the first time. We got our eagle back. But the second time …'**

**'You guys were there?' Percy asked.**

**They both shook their heads.**

**'I'm almost as new as you.' Frank tapped his probatio plate. 'Just got here last month. But everyone's heard the story. It's bad luck to even talk about this. There was this huge expedition to Alaska back in the eighties …'**

"Back before we were born." Travis said.

"Those were the good ol' days." Connor replied.

"No wars no freaking Kronos and Gaea." Travis went on.

"Wish we were all alive then instead." Connor finished.

Everyone couldn't help but agree.

**'That prophecy you noticed in the temple,' Hazel continued, 'the one about the seven demigods and the Doors of Death? Our senior praetor at the time was Michael Varus, from the Fifth Cohort. Back then the Fifth was the best in camp. He thought it would bring glory to the legion if he could figure out the prophecy and make it come true – save the world from storm and fire and all that. He talked to the augur, and the augur said the answer was in Alaska. But he warned Michael it wasn't time yet. The prophecy wasn't for him.'**

"And he didn't listen." Jason said.

"Yeah the prophecy is sadly meant for us." Leo said annoyed.

**'But he went anyway,' Percy guessed. 'What happened?'**

**Frank lowered his voice. 'Long, gruesome story. Almost the entire Fifth Cohort was wiped out. Most of legion's Imperial gold weapons were lost, along with the eagle. The survivors went crazy or refused to talk about what had attacked them.'**

A few people winced, "That's horrible." Katie exclaimed.

**I know, Hazel thought solemnly. But she kept silent.**

Nico frowned and Hazel glanced at her feet. _Great_, she thought, _they're going to know about that too_?

**'Since the eagle was lost,' Frank continued, 'the camp has been getting weaker. Quests are more dangerous. Monsters attack the borders more often. Morale is lower. The last month or so, things have been getting much worse, much faster.'**

Everyone shuffled and Nico darkened.

**'And the Fifth Cohort took the blame,' Percy guessed. 'So now everyone thinks we're cursed.'**

Cabin 9 shifted.

**Hazel realized her gumbo was cold. **

"Anyone else this sentence sounds weird?" Piper burst out. Everyone stared at her. "Never mind." Se mumbled.

**She sipped a spoonful, but the comfort food didn't taste very comforting. 'We've been the outcasts of the legion since … well, since the Alaska disaster. Our reputation got better when Jason became praetor –'**

Jason grinned, that was a wonderful day.

**'The kid who's missing?' Percy asked.**

Jason glanced at his shoes feeling awkward.

**'Yeah,' Frank said. 'I never met him. Before my time. But I hear he was a good leader. He practically grew up in the Fifth Cohort. He didn't care what people thought about us. He started to rebuild our reputation. Then he disappeared.'**

Jason muttered something under his breathe about Hera and Piper squeezed his hand.

**'Which put us back at square one,' Hazel said bitterly. 'Made us look cursed all over again. I'm sorry, Percy. Now you know what you've got yourself into.'**

"Oh, don't worry Percy's going to turn that around." Thalia grinned.

**Percy sipped his blue soda and gazed thoughtfully across the dining hall. 'I don't even know where I come from … but I've got a feeling this isn't the first time I've been an underdog.' **

The older campers felt uncomfortable. They all remembered the way they treated Percy during his first year at camp.

**He focused on Hazel and managed a smile. 'Besides, joining the legion is better than being chased through the wilderness by monsters. I've got myself some new friends. Maybe together we can turn things around for the Fifth Cohort, huh?'**

"He's really positive." Hazel said smiling.

**A horn blew at the end of the hall. The officers at the praetor's table got to their feet – even Dakota, his mouth vampire-red from Kool-Aid.**

"OH MY GAWD!" One of the daughters of Aphrodite screeched, "What if he's like really a vampire? Would he know Edward?"

"Edward?" Thalia mouthed to piper who went red embarrassed of her siblings, "Some movie all the girls like."

"SOME MOVIE?" Lacy screamed at Piper who cringed.

"It's only like the best movie ever with vampires and werewolves." Another girl said.

"Yeah, and the hottest actors in the world—"

"Please, kindly shut up." Clarisse cut the girls off.

"Thank you." Piper said gratefully when her half siblings closed their mouths.

**'The games begin!' Reyna announced. The campers cheered and rushed to collect their equipment from the stacks along the walls.**

The Ares cabin cheered as well happy for some action.

**'So we're the attacking team?' Percy asked over the noise. 'Is that good?'**

**Hazel shrugged. 'Good news: we get the elephant. Bad news –'**

**'Let me guess,' said Percy. 'The Fifth Cohort always loses.'**

"He's a good guesser." Hazel said.

**Frank slapped Percy on the shoulder. 'I love this guy. Come on, new friend. Let's go chalk up my thirteenth defeat in a row!'**

"I like Frank!" Leo said grinning, "He's really positive!"

* * *

**First off: I GOT THE MARK OF ATHENA AAAAAAAAAAAAH! AND I'm ALMOST DONE (sadly) My reaction so far: I can't...I can't even...I don't know how...Oh my gods..why...I just can't...**

**I'm not giving any spoilers until the two week mark (for those who don't know what the '2 week mark is...' it's where you wait for 2 weeks before giving spoilers online. Of course many people don't follow the rule but I won't break it I don't want the excitement of the book to be destroyed. One boy in my class flipped to the last page and started reading it out loud because he knew it would make me REALLY angry so I plugged my ears and ran out of the room screaming...though I caught a word or two and that sucked for me so...**

**But I am SO happy I have the book and SO sad that I'm nearing the end and SO mad because I know I'll have to wait another year...curse Rick Riordan!**

* * *

**Okay I know I haven't posted in a week..well this was my week:**

**School**

**MARK OF ATHENA**

**School **

**Homework**

**School **

**Soccer**

**Homework**

**Sick for three days**

**Being Lazy**

**READING MARK OF ATHENA!**

**yeah...exactly school and homework ruin me as well as make me lazy...so for now on you'll probably have to threaten me in your reviews just to get me to write because I am getting way too lazy for my well being. **

**Thank you all reviewers and for being patient...I'll post WHENEVER i CAN...no promises it'll be less than a week and no promises it will be in a week. Sorry. **

* * *

**DID I MENTION I HAVE MARK OF ATHENA? DID I MENTION I AM SO HAPPY? **

**Peace out I'm leaving the internet to read the book now...most probably finish it actually...:)**

**For those who don't have the book I FEEL SO SORRY FOR YOU (you probably don't wanna hear that) **

**For those who have the book: I have taken to using Frank's curse "Centaur Poop." That just cracked me up:)**

**-BB247**


	11. Chapter 10 PART UNO (I'm sorry)

**I KNOW I KNOW IT'S BEEN TOO LONG I AM SO SORRY **

**ENJOY**

**DISCLAIMER****: I OWN NOTHING...except the clothes I'm wearing...okay never mind my mom bought them:(**

* * *

**Frank**

"Oh so another point of view?" Annabeth questioned.

"Thank Gods." Hazel sighed.

**AS HE MARCHED TO THE WAR GAMES, Frank replayed the day in his mind. He couldn't believe how close he'd come to death.**

"It's pretty scary." Leo agreed and most of the demigods nodded.

**That morning on sentry duty, before Percy showed up, Frank had almost told Hazel his secret. **

"Everyone has a secret!" Travis complained.

"WHY IS THIS BOOK SO ADDICTING?" Connor moaned.

"Because it's about Percy." Thalia grinned.

**The two of them had been standing for hours in the chilly fog, watching the commuter traffic on Highway 24. Hazel had been complaining about the cold.**

"Whiner huh?" Someone muttered and Hazel blushed.

**'I'd give anything to be warm,' she said, her teeth chattering. 'I wish we had a fire.'**

Leo shifted uncomfortably and Piper whispered something quickly in his ear. He nodded.

**Even with her armour on, she looked great. **

Hazel went dark red and Nico growled.

**Frank liked the way her cinnamon-toast-coloured hair curled around the edges of her helmet, and the way her chin dimpled when she frowned. She was tiny compared to Frank, which made him feel like a big clumsy ox. **

"He is." Nico grumbled, remembering how he deliberately did not bring back Frank. He knew he should have seeing this book was about him but couldn't feel guilty when reading about the way he (Frank) felt about his sister.

**He wanted to put his arms round her to warm her up, but he'd never do that. She'd probably hit him, and he'd lose the only friend he had at camp.**

Hazel rubbed the back of her neck and Nico snarled.

"Whoa overprotective brother, calm down." Thalia laughed.

**I could make a really impressive fire, he thought. Of course, it would only burn for a few minutes, and then I'd die …**

"What?" Leo burst out.

Everyone looked confused and glanced at Annabeth who surprisingly was just as confused.

**It was scary that he even considered it. Hazel had that effect on him. **

Someone coughed really loudly, "Lover!" Cough, cough.

**Whenever she wanted something, he had the irrational urge to provide it. He wanted to be the old-fashioned knight riding to her rescue, which was stupid, as she was way more capable at everything than he was.**

"AW!" Lacy squealed.

**He imagined what his grandmother would say: Frank Zhang riding to the rescue? Ha! He'd fall off his horse and break his neck.**

"Mean grandmother." Jason frowned.

"I didn't even know demi-gods had grandmothers…" Piper said furrowing her brow.

**Hard to believe it had been only six weeks since he'd left his grandmother's house – six weeks since his mom's funeral.**

Everyone quieted down. Annabeth couldn't help but remember when Percy thought he lost his mother.

**Everything had happened since then: wolves arriving at his grandmother's door, the journey to Camp Jupiter, the weeks he'd spent in the Fifth Cohort trying not to be a complete failure. Through it all, he'd kept the half-burnt piece of firewood wrapped in a cloth in his coat pocket.**

"Firewood….the most needed thing in a person's life." Travis said a little too seriously.

**Keep it close, his grandmother had warned. As long as it is safe, you are safe.**

**"**I am so confused." Juniper sighed resting her head on Grover's shoulder.

**The problem was that it burned so easily.**

"Wood does that." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

** He remembered the trip south from Vancouver. **

"He's Canadian?" Katie looked surprised.

"Do Canadians amuse you? Eh." Travis said raising his eyebrows.

"No."

**When the temperature dropped below freezing near Mount Hood, Frank had brought out the piece of tinder and held it in his hands, imagining how nice it would be to have some fire. Immediately, the charred end blazed with a searing yellow flame.**

**"**That's stupid, if his life depended on that stick, why would he want fire?" Thalia frowned.

"Um, I don't think anyone realized that if he asked it would automatically start to burn." Nico rolled his eyes.

"Don't act smart with me!"

"What are you, my mother?"

"YOU'RE OLDER THAN ME!"

"Exactly, now go get me some juice."

"Shut up."

"I am your elder! You can't speak to me like that!"

"I'll show you how—"

"Thalia!" Annabeth said abruptly knowing what would happen next. Hazel was stifling her laughter; she'd never seen her brother so carefree and relaxed. He never bantered with her. He was always so serious. It was obvious this was his true home.

** It lit up the night and warmed Frank to the bone, but he could feel his life slipping away, as if he were being consumed rather than the wood. He'd thrust the flame into a snowbank. For a horrible moment it kept burning. When it finally went out, Frank got his panic under control. He wrapped the piece of wood and put it back in his coat pocket, determined not to bring it out again. But he couldn't forget it.**

"That's a terrible curse." Connor's voice broke the silence.

"Thank you Captain obvious." Will said.

**It was as though someone had said, 'Whatever you do, don't think about that stick bursting into flame!'**

"Yeah…I can't stop thinking about it now!" Leo grunted shutting his eyes with concentration.

**So, of course, that's all he thought about.**

"And Leo has joined you in the thinking!" Leo exclaimed.

"Why are you talking in third person?" Piper asked.

"Leo does not know!"

**On sentry duty with Hazel, he would try to take his mind off it. He loved spending time with her. **

"Awkward…" Travis said glancing at flushing Hazel.

"Imagine if he was here…" Jason mumbled to Piper who grinned.

**He asked her about growing up in New Orleans, but she got edgy at his questions, so they made small talk instead. Just for fun, they tried to speak French to each other. **

Piper perked up, her siblings didn't like to speak in French unless it was for gossip about other campers.

**Hazel had some Creole blood on her mother's side. Frank had taken French in school. Neither of them was very fluent,**

Piper let out a huff.

** and Louisiana French was so different from Canadian French**

Piper nodded.

** it was almost impossible to converse. **

Piper huffed again and Jason let out a laugh he'd be holding.

**When Frank asked Hazel how her beef was feeling today, and she replied that his shoe was green, they decided to give up.**

Everyone let out a laugh.

**Then Percy Jackson had arrived.**

"They make it so dramatic." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, he isn't that awesome." Nico puffed out his chest.

"Settle down Nico you haven't even gone through puberty." Thalia laughed patting his chest.

"SHUT YOUR FACE TREE!"

"Oh wow, that hurt me."

* * *

**Okay I AM SO SO SO SORRY! I'm not dead just extremely busy. I haven't had time to READ! which is saying something...I'm so busy and I'm so sorry I mean every time I got an email of someone favoriting or following my story made me guilty and feel terrible. I TRIED my hardest to write but when you barley have time to shower, well you can see my dilemma Anyways I know this was short I thought it was better than nothing and yes...this is all I have... I'd post more if I had written more. I PROMISE I WILL post within two weeks not this weekend maybe next Thursday? *Wince* I hate raising your expectations it's just that I have two major tests to study for and like way too much homework. Luckily I'll be freerer (is that a word?) from November 14th and on...I'll try to post sometime next week. NO PROMISES but I will post the rest of this chapter not like another part of it. **

**SO SO SO SO SORRY AND I HATE MYSELF AND I KNOW YOU HATE ME TOO I'M SO SORRY **

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I'm a box this year...my friend's Reyna so...yeah**

**Oh I finished Mark of Athena a few weeks ago (Columbus Day): IT WAS AMAZING AND FANTASTIC AND WORTH THE WAIT AND MAKES ME WISH IT WAS 2013 ALREADY! Every time I hear the word Underworld or Hell I gasp loudly and tear up so THANKS A LOT RICK! **

**Stages of a Rickhanger: **

**1) Cry**

**2) throw book across room**

**3) Apologize to book**

**4) Reread ending**

**5)Scream**

**6)Mutter to ****yourself**

**7) CRY**

**8) Denile**

**9)Lock book in closet, refuse to look at it**

**10) reread the book**

**12)Talk to everybody about the book and cry with fellow readers**

**13) Go online and stalk Rick Riordan while plotting his death**

**14) cry some more**

**11) Repeat stages 1-14**

**Centaur poop**

**-BB247**

**THANKS FOR REVIEWING AND BEING PATIENT AND BEARING IWTH ME AND I'm SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR POSTING LATE!**

**I love you...**

**awkward****...**


	12. Chapter 10 Part TWO!

**Me no own...anything...except my spongebob hat...:)**

**Enjoy.**

**Song of the day: Jukebox Hero by Glee**

* * *

**Then Percy Jackson had arrived.**

"They make it so dramatic." Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, he isn't that awesome." Nico puffed out his chest.

"Settle down Nico you haven't even gone through puberty." Thalia laughed patting his chest.

"SHUT YOUR FACE TREE!"

"Oh wow, that hurt me."

**Sure, Frank had seen kids fight monsters before. **

"Who hasn't?" Piper muttered.

"Well, I've seen kids fight monsters in my dreams." Clovis said from way back.

**He'd fought plenty of them himself on his journey from Vancouver.**

"And why didn't he get hurt on the way?" Nico muttered darky. Hazel smacked him.

** But he'd never seen gorgons. He'd never seen a goddess in person. And the way Percy had controlled the Little Tiber – wow. Frank wished he had powers like that.**

"Everyone does, stupid son of sea God." Thalia murmured to herself.

"Yeah…" Nico grumbled.

"You can control lightning! And you can bring back the dead!" Leo exclaimed annoyed.

"So?" Thalia said.

"We're the children of the Big Three," Nico said in a know it all voice, "Which gives us the right to be selfish, greedy, and jealous."

"Ha!" Annabeth scoffed.

**He could still feel the gorgons' claws pressing into his arms and smell their snaky breath – like dead mice and poison. **

On cue everyone shuddered.

**If not for Percy, those grotesque hags would have carried him away. **

"If not for Percy most of us wouldn't be here." Will muttered.

"If not for Annabeth Percy wouldn't be able to save us." Rachel pointed out. Everyone laughed and Annabeth nodded vigorously.

**He'd be a pile of bones in the back of a Bargain Mart by now.**

**"**Imagine if a mortal found that." Travis sniggered.

**After the incident at the river, Reyna had sent Frank to the armory, which had given him way too much time to think. **

"It must be hard." Nico said, still feeling overprotective.

**While he polished swords, he remembered Juno, warning them to unleash Death.**

"Well that's not ominous at all." Connor said. Piper and Jason frowned and Malcolm muttered something to Annabeth who scowled.

**Unfortunately Frank had a pretty good idea of what the goddess meant. He had tried to hide his shock when Juno had appeared, but she looked exactly like his grandmother had described – right down to the goat-skin cape.**

"Ugly as a hag." Annabeth grumbled and thunder roared in the distance.

**She chose your path years ago, Grandmother had told him. And it will not be easy.**

"No one's is!" Katie groaned.

**Frank glanced at his bow in the corner of the armory. He'd feel better if Apollo would claim him as a son. **

"He seems pretty sure of himself." Rachel said.

**Frank had been sure his godly parent would speak up on his sixteenth birthday, which had passed two weeks ago.**

"Disappointment, at its best." Connor smirked.

**Sixteen was an important milestone for Romans.**

"Sweet sixteen!" Lacy squealed and Piper let out a groan.

** It had been Frank's first birthday at camp.**

"So he's…one?" Travis asked confused.

Katie did a face-palm and no one bothered to answer him.

** But nothing had happened. Now Frank hoped he would be claimed on the Feast of Fortuna, though from what Juno had said they'd be in a battle for their lives on that day.**

Jason tensed up, as well as Hazel.

**His father had to be Apollo. Archery was the only thing Frank was good at. **

"That's positive." Leo said.

**Years ago, his mother had told him that their family name, Zhang, meant 'master of bows' in Chinese. That must have been a hint about his dad.**

"Watch him not be claimed by Apollo." Thalia scoffed.

"Ten bucks Apollo will claim him!" Connor told Travis.

"Ten bucks he won't!" Travis said in response. They slapped hands in agreement.

**Frank put down his polishing rags. He looked at the ceiling. 'Please, Apollo, if you're my dad, tell me. I want to be an archer like you.'**

"Yeah, your dad isn't the ceiling." Someone said from the back.

**'No, you don't,' a voice grumbled.**

"Oh my gods!" The same camper screamed.

**Frank jumped out of his seat. Vitellius, the Fifth Cohort's Lar, was shimmering behind him. His full name was Gaius Vitellius Reticulus, but the other cohorts called him Vitellius the Ridiculous.**

Leo laughed.

**'Hazel Levesque sent me to check on you,' **

Hazel groaned as Nico glowered at her, as if she betrayed him.

**Vitellius said, hiking up his sword belt. 'Good thing, too. Look at the state of this armour!'**

**Vitellius wasn't one to talk. His toga was baggy, his tunic barely fitted over his belly and his scabbard fell off his belt every three seconds, but Frank didn't bother pointing that out.**

"I'd love to meet this ghost…why don't we have ghosts?" Travis whined.

**'As for archers,' the ghost said, 'they're wimps! Back in my day, archery was a job for barbarians. A good Roman should be in the fray, gutting his enemy with spear and sword like a civilized man! That's how we did it in the Punic Wars. Roman up, boy!'**

The Apollo children growled.

**Frank sighed. 'I thought you were in Caesar's army.'**

**'I was!'**

"Liar!" Katie muttered.

"You are very judgmental." Travis pointed out.

"I AM NOT!"

"First the Canadian's now the ghosts…calm down."

"I'll….I give up." Katie sighed.

**'Vitellius, Caesar was hundreds of years after the Punic Wars. You couldn't have been alive that long.'**

Annabeth and Malcolm laughed.

**'Questioning my honour?' Vitellius looked so mad his purple aura glowed. He drew his ghostly gladius and yelled, 'Take that!'**

"Oh…I'm so scared." Piper rolled her eyes. Jason chuckled.

**He ran the sword, which was about as deadly as a laser pointer, through Frank's chest a few times.**

Cue rolling eyes.

**'Ouch,' Frank said, just to be nice.**

Hazel smiled and Jason laughed again.

**Vitellius looked satisfied and put his sword away. 'Perhaps you'll think twice about doubting your elders next time! Now … it was your sixteenth birthday recently, wasn't it?'**

"Creepy, how'd he know?" Juniper spoke up wrinkling her nose.

**Frank nodded. He wasn't sure how Vitellius knew this, **

"Stalker!" Thalia coughed.

**since Frank hadn't told anyone except Hazel,**

Nico growled.

** but ghosts had ways of finding out secrets. Eavesdropping while invisible was probably one of them.**

**'So that's why you're such a grumpy gladiator,' the Lar said. 'Understandable. The sixteenth birthday is your day of manhood! Your godly parent should have claimed you, no doubt about it, even if with only a small omen. Perhaps he thought you were younger. You look younger, you know, with that pudgy baby face.'**

"He's very blunt." Katie observed.

**'Thanks for reminding me,' Frank muttered.**

"Got to be hard, having a baby face." Leo said nodding.

**'Yes, I remember my sixteenth,' Vitellius said happily. 'Wonderful omen! A chicken in my underpants.'**

Piper started to choke on her spit, while most of the campers gaped or snorted. Jason patted her back and she spluttered, "W-what?"

"That's Vitellius for you." Jason simply said.

**'Excuse me?'**

**Vitellius puffed up with pride. 'That's right! I was at the river changing my clothes for my Liberalia. Rite of passage into manhood, you know. We did things properly back then. I'd taken off my childhood toga and was washing up to don the adult one. Suddenly, a pure-white chicken ran out of nowhere, dived into my loincloth and ran off with it. I wasn't wearing it at the time.'**

The entire camp roared with laughter and Hazel cracked a grin even though this was probably the fourth time she heard that story.

**'That's good,' Frank said. 'And can I just say: too much information?'**

"Dude," Connor said holding up a hand, "It's 'TMI', use the cool term."

**'Mm.' Vitellius wasn't listening. 'That was the sign I was descended from Aesculapius, the god of medicine. I took my cognomen, my third name, Reticulus, because it meant undergarment, to remind me of the blessed day when a chicken stole my loincloth.'**

The camp burst out with laughter.

**'So … your name means Mr Underwear?'**

"That's a wonderful name." Will sniggered.

**'Praise the gods! I became a surgeon in the legion, and the rest is history.' He spread his arms generously. 'Don't give up, boy. Maybe your father is running late. Most omens are not as dramatic as a chicken, of course. I knew a fellow once who got a dung beetle –'**

**'Thanks, Vitellius,' Frank said. 'But I have to finish polishing this armour –'**

**'And the gorgon's blood?'**

"Caught!" Travis said grinning.

**Frank froze. He hadn't told anyone about that. As far as he knew, only Percy had seen him pocket the vials at the river, and they hadn't had a chance to talk about it.**

'Thief! Maybe he's our brother!" Connor practically squealed.

**'Come now,' Vitellius chided. 'I'm a healer. I know the legends about gorgon's blood. Show me the vials.'**

**Reluctantly, Frank brought out the two ceramic flasks he'd retrieved from the Little Tiber. Spoils of war were often left behind when a monster dissolved – sometimes a tooth, or a weapon, or even the monster's entire head. Frank had known what the two vials were immediately. By tradition they belonged to Percy, who had killed the gorgons, but Frank couldn't help thinking, What if I could use them?**

"To do what?" Piper frowned.

**'Yes.' Vitellius studied the vials approvingly. 'Blood taken from the right side of a gorgon's body can cure any disease, even bring the dead back to life. The goddess Minerva once gave a vial of it to my divine ancestor, Aesculapius. But blood taken from the left side of a gorgon – instantly fatal. So, which is which?'**

"That's kind of scary." Rachel shuddered.

**Frank looked down at the vials. 'I don't know. They're identical.'**

"That's a bummer." Leo sighed.

"Wow, that comment was actually something someone normal would say." Piper said surprised. Jason laughed.

**'Ha! But you're hoping the right vial could solve your problem with the burnt stick, eh? Maybe break your curse?'**

"What curse? WHY IS THIS BOOK SO MYSTERIOUS!" Travis roared annoyed

"The book already told us that if the stick burns up he'll die. That's not mysterious!" Katie exclaimed.

"Well, I was asleep for a little bit cause I didn't get to finish my beauty nap." Travis pouted.

"No. Just no." Piper deadpanned.

**Frank was so stunned he couldn't talk.**

"He left you speechless eh?" Travis wiggled his eyebrows.

"YOU ARE NOT CANADIAN!" Katie yelled.

The camp watched on with amusement. When were they just going to admit their feelings and get together?

**'Oh, don't worry, boy.' The ghost chuckled. 'I won't tell anyone. I'm a Lar, a protector of the cohort! I wouldn't do anything to endanger you.'**

**'You stabbed me through the chest with your sword.'**

"Grudge holder!" Leo sang.

**'Trust me, boy! I have sympathy for you, carrying the curse of that Argonaut.'**

"Argonaut?" Thalia murmured.

** 'The … what?' **

"The curse of Argonaut!" Connor rolled his eyes.

**Vitellius waved away the question. 'Don't be modest. You've got ancient roots. Greek as well as Roman. It's no wonder Juno –' **

Thalia and Annabeth scowled and Jason frowned. "He's Greek?"

"I don't know." Thalia muttered.

"Knew something was wrong with him." Nico mumbled.

"You're just an overprotective brother." Hazel rolled his eyes.

**He tilted his head, as if listening to a voice from above. His face went slack. His entire aura flickered green. **

All the older campers frowned. Annabeth's eyes were storming.

**'But I've said enough! At any rate, I'll let you work out who gets the gorgon's blood. I suppose that newcomer Percy could use it, too, with his memory problem.'**

Immediately everyone who knew Percy straightened up. Annabeth's fists were clenched tightly, her nails biting into her skin.

**Frank wondered what Vitellius had been about to say and what had made him so scared, but he got the feeling that for once Vitellius was going to keep his mouth shut.**

"That sucks." Rachel sighed.

**He looked down at the two vials. He hadn't even thought of Percy's needing them. He felt guilty that he'd been intending to use the blood for himself. 'Yeah. Of course. He should have it.'**

"I don't…" Annabeth mumbled. If Percy got his memory now would everything change? Would he immediately come back?

**'Ah, but if you want my advice …' Vitellius looked up nervously again. 'You should both wait on that gorgon blood. If my sources are right, you're going to need it on your quest.'**

Annabeth and Thalia and Grover and most of the camp groaned.

"What?" Jason asked.

"Percy and quests don't…get along."

"No demi-god alive and quests get along." Leo muttered,

"Yeah well, Percy is a special case."

"How many has he been on?" Jason asked trying hard to sound indifferent.

"Um…one…two…three. And then…four. Yeah four." Travis calculated.

Piper's eyes widened, "Impressive. And I thought one quest was hard."

"Imagine having to make sure Percy doesn't get himself killed." Annabeth grumbled with a shining light of pride in her eyes.

Piper laughed. "Yeah I had to keep Leo and Jason alive."

"HEY!" Leo and Jason complained.

**'Quest?'**

**The doors of the armoury flew open.**

**Reyna stormed in with her metal greyhounds.**

Hazel winced.

** Vitellius vanished. He might have liked chickens, but he did not like the praetor's dogs.**

**'Frank.' Reyna looked troubled. 'That's enough with the armor. Go find Hazel. Get Percy Jackson down here. He's been up there too long. I don't want Octavian …' She hesitated. 'Just get Percy down here.'**

Jason frowned.

**So Frank had run all the way to Temple Hill.**

**Walking back, Percy had asked tons of questions about Hazel's brother, Nico, but Frank didn't know that much.**

The camp glowered at said person.

**'He's okay,' Frank said. 'He's not like Hazel –'**

"Yeah. I'm a boy and she's a girl." Nico said sarcastically and slowly.

"You sure about that?" Thalia snickered.

**'How do you mean?' Percy asked.**

**'Oh, um …' Frank coughed. He'd meant that Hazel was better looking and nicer, **

Nico scowled and slouched in his seat.

**but he decided not to say that. 'Nico is kind of mysterious. He makes everybody else nervous, being the son of Pluto, and all.'**

"You make people nervous?" Thalia said surprised.

"Yeah I can be scary you know! You guys have just known me since I was…younger." Nico glowered.

"Yeah watching you squeal over the action points Zeus has does make an impression." Grover said.

Hazel giggled. She never knew that.

**'But not you?'**

**Frank shrugged. 'Pluto's cool. It's not his fault he runs the Underworld. He just got bad luck when the gods were dividing up the world, you know? Jupiter got the sky, Neptune got the sea and Pluto got the shaft.'**

"And the Underworld is the best!" Nico exclaimed.

"Unless you're dead of course." Drew drawled.

**'Death doesn't scare you?'**

**Frank almost wanted to laugh. Not at all! Got a match?**

A few people shifted their feet.

**Instead he said, 'Back in the old times, like the Greek times, when Pluto was called Hades, he was more of a death god. When he became Roman, he got more … I don't know, respectable. He became the god of wealth, too. Everything under the earth belongs to him. So I don't think of him as being real scary.'**

**Percy scratched his head. 'How does a god become Roman? If he's Greek, wouldn't he stay Greek?'**

"I wish." Someone muttered.

"Excuse me?" Jason raised an eyebrow.

"I mean it's...just that you know everything would be simpler."

"Well if it weren't for Roman Gods, I'd never have Jason as a brother…" Thalia said raising her eyebrow.

"And he wouldn't be with me?" Piper added.

"I take that comment back."

**Frank walked a few steps, thinking about that. Vitellius would've given Percy an hour-long lecture on the subject, probably with a PowerPoint presentation, but Frank took his best shot. 'The way Romans saw it, they adopted the Greek stuff and perfected it.'**

"There was something wrong with it?" Annabeth said bitterly.

**Percy made a sour face. 'Perfected it? Like there was something wrong with it?'**

A few campers chuckled.

**Frank remembered what Vitellius had said: You've got ancient roots. Greek as well as Roman. His grandmother had said something similar.**

"That's odd." Malcolm said his mind thinking a million things at once.

**'I don't know,' he admitted. 'Rome was more successful than Greece. **

"NO IT WASN'T!" The camp roared and Jason and Hazel looked a bit uncomfortable.

**They made this huge empire. The gods became a bigger deal in Roman times – more powerful and widely known. That's why they're still around today. So many civilizations base themselves on Rome. **

"Yeah well, Greeks are still here to!" Connor said annoyed.

**The gods changed to Roman because that's where the centre of power was. Jupiter was … well, more responsible as a Roman god than he had been when he was Zeus.**

No one disagreed with that.

** Mars became a lot more important and disciplined.'**

The Ares children cheered.

**'And Juno became a hippie bag lady,' **

Everyone laughed at that. The camp fire had brightened and campers were more relaxed. It was as if Percy wasn't gone. Annabeth smiled sadly trying hard not to cry. She wasn't a crier.

**Percy noted. 'So you're saying the old Greek gods – they just changed permanently to Roman? There's nothing left of the Greek?'**

"NO!" The camp yelled.

"Look at this body…"Travis said running his hands through his hair and down his chest, "Romans can't look like this!"

Katie slapped him.

**'Uh …' Frank looked around to make sure there were no campers or Lares nearby, but the main gates were still a hundred yards away. 'That's a sensitive topic. Some people say Greek influence is still around,**

"Those kids are smart." Thalia said.

** like it's still a part of the gods' personalities. I've heard stories of demigods occasionally leaving Camp Jupiter. They reject Roman training and try to follow the older Greek style**

" 'Cause we're awesome!" Connor said.

** – like being solo heroes instead of working as a team the way the legion does. And back in the ancient days, when Rome fell, the eastern half of the empire survived – the Greek half.'**

"Yup." Nico said.

**Percy stared at him. 'I didn't know that.'**

"I doubt he understood most of that." Thalia muttered.

**'It was called Byzantium.' Frank liked saying that word. It sounded cool. **

"Byzantium. Byzantium. Byzantium" Leo tried out the word, his grin grew, "He's right!"

**'The eastern empire lasted another thousand years, but it was always more Greek than Roman. For those of us who follow the Roman way, it's kind of a sore subject. That's why, whatever country we settle in, Camp Jupiter is always in the west – the Roman part of the territory. The east is considered bad luck.'**

"Not true!" Sang Rachel.

**'Huh.' Percy frowned.**

**Frank couldn't blame him for feeling confused. The Greek/Roman stuff gave him a headache, too.**

A few campers nodded.

**They reached the gates.**

"Of Heaven!" Someone finished from the back. There was some laughter and the sound of a hand hitting flesh, "OW!"

**'I'll take you to the baths to get you cleaned up,' Frank said. 'But first … about those vials I found at the river.'**

**'Gorgon's blood,' Percy said. 'One vial heals. One is deadly poison.'**

**Frank's eyes widened. **

"I know, it's pretty odd when he knows something." Thalia said sympathetically.

"Who are you talking to?" Nico grumbled.

**'You know about that? Listen, I wasn't going to keep them. I just –'**

"Someone's guilty…" Will said.

"FIRST RULE TO STEALING NEVER ADMIT IT!" Travis roared standing on his bench.

"SECOND RULE TO STEALING NEVER TELL THE TRUTH!" Connor joined him.

**'I know why you did it, Frank.'**

"Busted!" Grover said.

**'You do?'**

**'Yeah.' Percy smiled. 'If I'd come into camp carrying a vial of poison, that would've looked bad. You were trying to protect me.'**

"Aw, that's so sweet." Lacy squealed.

"Yeah he only thinks of the good in people." Some other girl said softly. Annabeth was trembeling it was taking all her effort not to run to the beach and scream on the top of her lungs. She missed Percy like a physical pain. Thalia wrapped an arm around her and Rachel whispered something in her ear, she nodded but kept shaking.

**'Oh … right.' Frank wiped the sweat off his palms. 'But if we could figure out which vial was which, it might heal your memory.'**

The words heal and memory made the entire camp straighten in their seats.

**Percy's smile faded. **

Rachel squeezed Annabeth's hands.

**He gazed across the hills. 'Maybe … I guess. But you should hang on to those vials for now. There's a battle coming. We may need them to save lives.'**

A few campers sighed knowing Percy would have probably said that. Others just grumbled something about stupid heroes. Annabeth sighed and Jason felt uncomfortable again.

**Frank stared at him, a little bit in awe. Percy had a chance to get his memory back, and he was willing to wait in case someone else needed the vial more? **

"That's Percy for you." Jake Mason **(A/N: Is that his name? I forget) **said bitterly. The fire dimmed.

**Romans were supposed to be unselfish and help their comrades, but Frank wasn't sure anyone else at camp would have made that choice.**

Jason rubbed the back of his neck and Hazel looked at her feet.

**'So you don't remember anything?' Frank asked. 'Family, friends?'**

The fire dimmed even more.

**Percy fingered the clay beads round his neck. 'Only glimpses. Murky stuff. A girlfriend … I thought she'd be at camp.' **

The entire camp went still.

**He looked at Frank carefully, as if making a decision. 'Her name was Annabeth. You don't know her, do you?'**

Not a sound was made, even the Stolls were frozen in anticipation.

**Frank shook his head. 'I know everybody at camp, but no Annabeth. What about your family? Is your mom mortal?'**

**'I guess so … she's probably worried out of her mind. **

"That's an understatement of the century." Annabeth mumbled.

**Does your mom get to see you much?'**

**Frank stopped at the bathhouse entrance. He grabbed some towels from the supply shed. 'She died.'**

Leo inhaled some air and Piper glanced at him before taking his hand and squeezing it.

**Percy knitted his brow. 'How?'**

"Seriously? You don't ask that Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth exclaimed.

**Usually Frank would lie. He'd say an accident and shut off the conversation. Otherwise his emotions got out of control. He couldn't cry at Camp Jupiter. **

Jason nodded.

**He couldn't show weakness. **

Jason nodded again.

**But, with Percy, Frank found it easier to talk.**

Most of the camp nodded at that.

**'She died in the war,' he said. 'Afghanistan.'**

Leo shuffled his feet and Piper muttered something to him in his ear. Hazel felt a pang of something when she saw that, though she couldn't decide what it meant. _He's not Sammy, he's Leo_, she thought once more.

**'She was in the military?'**

**'Canadian. Yeah.'**

"Canadian's have a military?" Katie wondered.

"What do you have against Canada?" Travis exclaimed.

"Nothing!"

**'Canada? I didn't know –'**

"See? Percy was wondering the same—"

"Except he has nothing against them!"

"How do you know?"

**'Most Americans don't.' Frank sighed. 'But, yeah, Canada has troops there. My mom was a captain. She was one of the first women to die in combat. She saved some soldiers who were pinned down by enemy fire. **

Leo stood up wiping his hands on his belt, before walking away. The campers looked confused, but Piper ignored them and ran after him. Jason frowned before getting up as well.

**She … she didn't make it. The funeral was right before I came down here.'**

The campers felt sad, most of them had lost someone in war too.

**Percy nodded. He didn't ask for more details, which Frank appreciated. He didn't say he was sorry, or make any of the well-meaning comments Frank always hated: Oh, you poor guy. That must be so hard on you. You have my deepest condolences.**

"Very annoying." Nico scowled.

"I'm surprised he's kept his mouth shut." Thalia said.

**It was like Percy had faced death before, like he knew about grief. **

The camp fire gloomed down. No one felt as if Percy was right there with them making stupid comments. Annabeth's eyes saddened and she stared longingly at the direction of the beach.

**What mattered was listening. You didn't need to say you were sorry. The only thing that helped was moving on – moving forward.**

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." Connor murmured.

**'How about you show me the baths now?' Percy suggested. 'I'm filthy.'**

And just like that the camp lightened up. The fire rose a tiny bit. Annabeth smiled and Nico smirked.

**Frank managed a smile. 'Yeah. You kind of are.'**

**As they walked into the steam room, Frank thought of his grandmother, his mom and his cursed childhood, thanks to Juno and her piece of firewood. He almost wished he could forget his past, the way Percy had.**

"I think we need a break." Thalia announced.

"LUNCH/BATHROOM BREAK! SCATTER!" Annabeth yelled. The crowd roamed off chatting and stretching. All that was left was Nico, Thalia, Annabeth and Hazel.

"What happened with Leo?" Nico frowned.

"I don't know." Thalia shrugged.

Hazel just frowned.

* * *

**Hehe. Anyone proud of me? I AM! I managed to post within a week...or has it been longer? Sorry. OKAY! I know this chapter was not one of my bests. I admit I haven't read over this so there might be one too many mistakes and maybe there'll be repeats of my bad jokes. Sorry. Feel free to tell me though. **

**So lately this fanfiction is getting many followers and favorites and I just wanted to say THANK YOU! I love all you guys even if you don't review (suggestive wink). And I wanted to thank you for reading this and hopefully you laugh when you read this. Ether it's so bad it's funny or it actually is...funny. I hope you keep on reading even though sometimes my chapters will suck (like this one) and I might not post for a while.**

**Still sorry about that.**

**THANK YOU.**

* * *

_awkwardgalnamedlouise_- **Thank you! And no I will NOT bring Percy into this. That pretty much defeats the purpose of them READING about his adventures because well, he can just tell them about his quest. And then the camps reactions would't be fun because they know he has survived since he's right there. And yes I know a lot of people do that. Well, that's their story NOT MINE! And you think you're obsessed? Think again. I cried/sobbed/screamed during that entire book. I actually had TWITCHES of excitement and happiness because I kept on remembering that 'MOA WAS COMING OUT!' I also squealed a lot. You are not the only crazed fan out there I can assure you that:) **

_Blitzing- _**AW! I feel awful for you. I would have died if I still hadn't owned MOA. Good luck. And I don't think people will do that till like... February or January. Sorry. I might do one. But I need to finish this one. I hope you get it soon. **

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**THANK YOU REVIEWERS! I HOPED YOU LIKED MY AWFUL CHAPTER! I SHALL POST ASAP! BUT NOT TODAY (cause I just posted!)...**

**Yeah...my stages of the Rickhanger really blew your minds huh? :) Yeah...I am currently on...9...still...yeah...okay...**

**Centaur Poop.**

**-BB247**

**I love you...**

**... awkward...**


	13. Chapter 11 PART UNO!

**Disclaimer: ME NO OWN **

**Song of the Chapter: Mango Tree by Angus and Julia Stone**

**Enjoy:)**

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The campers came back around the campfire an hour later. They settled down chatting and laughing. Jason and Piper soon came back hauling Leo with them. He was back to normal, a grin was on his face and his fingers were twiddling with some contraption. Annabeth frowned at Leo before standing p on the bench she was sitting on and roaring loudly over all the campers, "SHUT UP!"  
Everyone quieted down and she continued, "Okay! Here's the plan, we're going to read till dinner, read a few chapters after dinner and then we'll go to sleep. We'll start again in the morning but Leo, you and your cabin can choose to ether work on the ship now or after dinner. Your-."

A flash of light interrupted her and a piece of paper floated into Annabeth's hand.

_Oh hello dear cousin…niece? I don't know._

_Anyways, I forgot to ask the fates to stop time,_

_Because you HAVE to finish this book before you leave for Rome _

_Or You're pretty much doomed._

_So…time has been frozen you can still take breaks to eat…READ ON!_

_-Apollo (The greatest God ever *thunder* okay! SECOND greatest God ever) _

"Well, that settles that issue, let's get reading!" Thalia clapped her hands. Everyone settled down, Jason picked up the book and started to read,

**FRANK DIDN'T REMEMBER MUCH ABOUT the funeral itself.**

"What funeral?" Clovis asked no one in particular waking up suddenly.

"Clovis why don't you—"Someone started only to be cut off by a familiar sounding snore.

** But he remembered the hours leading up to it – his grandmother coming out into the backyard to find him shooting arrows at her porcelain collection.**

"Busted." Grover muttered.

**His grandmother's house was a rambling grey stone mansion on twelve acres in North Vancouver. Her backyard ran straight into Lynn Canyon Park.**

**The morning was cold and drizzly, but Frank didn't feel the chill. He wore a black wool suit and a black overcoat that had once belonged to his grandfather. Frank had been startled and upset to find that they fitted him fine. **

"Because it was worn by someone who's dead…duh." Lacy rolled her eyes.

"It's also probably out of style!" Drew scoffed.

**The clothes smelled like wet mothballs and jasmine.**

"Both a con and a pro." Leo muttered.

** The fabric was itchy but warm.**

**"**Another con and pro." Leo mumbled.

** With his bow and quiver, he probably looked like a very dangerous butler.**

Thalia snorted.

**He'd loaded some of his grandmother's porcelain in a wagon**

"What is this the 1500s?" Someone asked laughing.

"This isn't another vision is it?" Hazel said sounding scared.

"No." Piper reassured her.

** and toted it into the yard, where he set up targets on old fence posts at the edge of the property. He'd been shooting so long his fingers were starting to lose their feeling. With every arrow, he imagined he was striking down his problems.**

"I wish." Annabeth grumbled.

**Snipers in Afghanistan. Smash. A teapot exploded with an arrow through the middle.**

**The sacrifice medal, a silver disc on a red-and-black ribbon, given for death in the line of duty, presented to Frank as if it were something important, something that made everything all right. Thwack. **

"Jason, you are terrible at sound effects." Connor stated.

"You want to do it?" Jason challenged.

"I shall take that studious offer!" Connor replied in a high voice snatching the book from a surprised looking Jason.

"Do you even know what studious means?" Katie asked crossing her arms.

"Yeah…" Connor said.

"It means—"Annabeth started.

"No!" Travis yelled suddenly, "Connor read! Don't make her say something intelligent!"

Connor quickly started to read, very slowly,

**A teacup spun into the woods.**

**The officer who came to tell him: 'Your mother is a hero. Captain Emily Zhang died trying to save her comrades.' Crack. A blue-and-white plate split into pieces.**

**His grandmother's chastisement: Men do not cry. Especially Zhang men. You will endure, Fai.**

"Fai?" Leo snickered.

**No one called him Fai except his grandmother.**

"I can tell why." Leo said laughing.

**What sort of name is Frank? **

"A normal one?" Leo answered.

"Hey! Don't be racist." Piper scolded.

**She would scold. That is not a Chinese name.**

"Indeed tis' is not." Travis spoke.

**I'm not Chinese, Frank thought, but he didn't dare say that. His mother had told him years ago: There is no arguing with Grandmother. It'll only make you suffer worse. She'd been right. And now Frank had no one except his grandmother.**

**Thud. **

"See?" Connor interrupted himself looking at Jason, "That was a good sound effect!"

**A fourth arrow hit the fencepost and stuck there, quivering.**

"Was it scared?" Will joked.

Cue cricket noises.

"Why don't you leave the jokes to us Will." Connor said.

**'Fai,' said his grandmother.**

**Frank turned.**

**She was clutching a shoebox-sized mahogany chest that Frank had never seen before. With her high-collared black dress and severe bun of grey hair, she looked like a schoolteacher from the 1800s.**

A few people glanced at Hazel who scowled and said loudly, "1900's people!"

**She surveyed the carnage: her porcelain in the wagon, the shards of her favorite tea sets scattered over the lawn, Frank's arrows sticking out of the ground, the trees, the fence posts and one in the head of a smiling garden gnome.**

"Creepy." Juniper shuddered.

**Frank thought she would yell, or hit him with the box.**

Leo snickered.

** He'd never done anything this bad before. He'd never felt so angry.**

"Who wouldn't?" Annabeth mumbled.

**Grandmother's face was full of bitterness and disapproval. She looked nothing like Frank's mom. **

"Yeah, because she's old." Someone scoffed.

**He wondered how his mother had turned out to be so nice – always laughing, always gentle. Frank couldn't imagine his mom growing up with Grandmother any more than he could imagine her on the battlefield – though the two situations probably weren't that different.**

**He waited for Grandmother to explode. Maybe he'd be grounded and wouldn't have to go to the funeral. He wanted to hurt her for being so mean all the time, for letting his mother go off to war**

Everyone glanced down feeling uncomfortable.

**, for scolding him to get over it.**

"That's a little over board." Katie muttered.

** All she cared about was her stupid collection.**

"That's not true." Juniper scolded.

**'Stop this ridiculous behavior,' Grandmother said. She didn't sound very irritated. 'It is beneath you.'**

**To Frank's astonishment, she kicked aside one of her favorite teacups.**

"Oh golly! The teacup might be hurt!" Leo said putting the back of his hand to his forehead. Piper muffled a smile.

**'The car will be here soon,' she said. 'We must talk.'**

"Must?" Travis said, "Sounds a bit extreme."

"Everything in the demi-god world is extreme!" Katie exclaimed.

**Frank was dumbfounded. He looked more closely at the mahogany box. For a horrible moment, he wondered if it contained his mother's ashes, but that was impossible. **

"Technically-"Malcolm started.

"NO!" Someone from the Ares cabin roared.

**Grandmother had told him there would be a military burial. Then why did Grandmother hold the box so gingerly, as if its contents grieved her?**

**'Come inside,' she said. Without waiting to see if he would follow, she turned and marched towards the house.**

**In the parlor, **

"Ice-cream parlor?" Clovis asked brightly waking up suddenly once more.

"Go back to sleep!" Someone called out from the back and a few others laughed.

Hazel smiled at the camp's banter. They were so free spirited, there was order but fun order, though Hazel loved Camp Jupiter she wondered what it would be like if she lived here. If she was Greek.

**Frank sat on a velvet sofa, surrounded by vintage family photos, porcelain vases that had been too large for his wagon and red Chinese calligraphy banners. Frank didn't know what the calligraphy said. He'd never had much interest in learning. He didn't know most of the people in the photographs, either.**

**Whenever Grandmother started lecturing him about his ancestors – how they'd come over from China and prospered in the import/export business, eventually becoming one of the wealthiest Chinese families in Vancouver – well, it was boring. Frank was fourth-generation Canadian. He didn't care about China and all these musty antiques. The only Chinese characters he could recognize were his family name: Zhang. Master of bows. That was cool.**

"MASTER! MASTER!" Connor dropped the book and bowed to the fire.

A child from the Athena cabin screeched, "You dropped a book! Pick it up!"

"Nerd." Someone coughed.

Connor scrambled up, picked the book up and went back to reading,

**Grandmother sat next to him, her posture stiff, her hands folded over the box.**

Travis felt the need to slouch purposely.

**'Your mother wanted you to have this,' she said with reluctance. 'She kept it since you were a baby. When she went away to the war, she entrusted it to me. But now she is gone. And soon you will be going, too.'**

**Frank's stomach fluttered.**

"Like a bird?" Thalia snorted.

** 'Going? Where?'**

**'I am old,' Grandmother said,**

"Thank you Mr. Obvious." Nico said sarcastically.

"_Mrs_." Hazel defended.

** as if that were a surprising announcement. 'I have my own appointment with Death soon enough.**

Annabeth frowned. The god?

** I cannot teach you the skills you will need, and I cannot keep this burden. If something were to happen to it, I would never forgive myself. You would die.'**

**Frank wasn't sure he'd heard her right. It sounded like she had said his life depended on that box. He wondered why he'd never seen it before. She must have kept it locked in the attic – the one room Frank was forbidden to explore. **

"What?" Connor exclaimed.

"Curiosity is part of a demi-god's soul!" Travis agreed.

"FORBIDDEN IS NOTHING BUT A WORD!"

"Sticks and stones can never hurt but words…can." Will tried to say before trailing off red in face.

"No." Annabeth said disappointed while more than half the campers snorted with laughter, "Just no."

**She'd always said she kept her most valuable treasures up there.**

**She handed the box to him. He opened the lid with trembling fingers. Inside, cushioned in velvet lining, was a terrifying, life-altering, incredibly important … piece of wood.**

The Stolls both gasped and spoke in tune with each other and melodramatically, "No!"

**It looked like driftwood – hard and smooth, sculpted into a wavy shape. It was about the size of a TV remote control. **

"I need some TV right now; this book is making my brain do the opposite of rot." Travis said smoothly.

**The tip was charred. Frank touched the burnt end. It still felt warm. The ashes left a black smudge on his finger.**

**'It's a stick,' **

"That's what she said." Someone said and a few people almost died of laughter. **[A/N: I had to, sorry]**

"What do you mean?" Hazel questioned.

Nico coughed and tried not to make eye contact with anyone who was smirking and Jason narrowed his eyes, "Something very, very immature."

**he said. He couldn't figure out why Grandmother was acting so tense and serious about it.**

**Her eyes glittered.**

"Like sparkles?" An Aphrodite child said excitedly.

** 'Fai, do you know of prophecies? Do you know of the gods?'**

"We do!" Chorused the camp excluding Hazel, Jason and Annabeth.

**The questions made him uncomfortable.**

"Ah! So he knows something about it then!" Travis said holding one finger up, speaking in deep tones.

** He thought about Grandmother's silly gold statues of Chinese immortals, her superstitions about putting furniture in certain places and avoiding unlucky numbers. Prophecies made him think of fortune cookies, which weren't even Chinese – not really – but the bullies at school teased him about stupid stuff like that: Confucius say … all that garbage. Frank had never even been to China. He wanted nothing to do with it. But, of course, Grandmother didn't want to hear that.**

"No one wants to hear that their beliefs are wrong." Piper rolled her eyes.

**'A little, Grandmother,' he said. 'Not much.'**

"LIAR!" Jimmy, son of Hermes spoke loudly. He happened to idolize the Stolls. Great mistake.

**'Most would have scoffed at your mother's tale,' she said, 'But I did not. I know of prophecies and gods. Greek, Roman, Chinese – they intertwine in our family. I did not question what she told me about your father.'**

Most of the more serious campers frowned. Annabeth's mind was whirring like a car engine. What did that mean? Were there even _more_ gods? Annabeth ran through all the myths that had gods. Egyptian, Norse, Hindu, Mesopotamian, Aztecs. How many more demi-gods did they need? Annabeth's brain hurt to think about it.

**'Wait … what?'**

**'Your father was a god,' she said plainly.**

"Someone's blunt." Hazel muttered.

**If Grandmother had had a sense of humor, Frank would have thought she was kidding. But Grandmother never teased. Was she going senile?**

"That'd be funny if it wasn't true." Nico mumbled.

**'Stop gaping at me!' she snapped. 'My mind is not addled. Haven't you ever wondered why your father never came back?'**

"All of us have." Most of the children of Gods muttered. The children of Goddesses agreed.

**'He was …' Frank faltered. Losing his mother was painful enough. He didn't want to think about his father, too. 'He was in the army, like Mom. He went missing in action. In Iraq.'**

"You wish." Thalia said.

**'Bah. He was a god. He fell in love with your mother because she was a natural warrior. She was like me – strong, brave, good, beautiful.'**

"If only he was mortal." Leo sighed dramatically.

* * *

**As you can see that was not the full chapter. Yeah sorry. From now on I'm going to have to split chapters...as in Part UNO and Part Deux...never a part Trois...I promise you that.**

**Well because of school, projects, tests, extra BLAH BLAH BLAH I can't write the full chapter without taking a seriously long amount of time these are very long so writing dialogue and reactions for EVERY single line takes a while especially when I barley have time to write**

** and I don't want to make you wait :) **

**sorry this was a short chapter and i am SO SO SO SO SORRY for taking such a long time...but now you know why:) **

**I AM STILL ALIVE AND HEALTHY! **

* * *

**Thanks for reviews and all you people who are now following this fanfiction and who Favorited it (I like you even more now) **

**Please keep reading I VOW to finish this fanfiction and will never stop posting chapters no matter how long it takes for me to update a chapter**

**I shall post ASAP (meaning before winter break hopefully...or during winter break) **

**Centaur Poop.**

**-BB247 **

**P.S. Anyone hear about Sea of Monsters movie? THEY DYED ANNABETH'S HAIR BLONDE FOR IT! THIS DIRECTOR IS WONDERFUL though it will confuse the idiots who haven't read the book and watched the movie (idiots...I do not respect them) **


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